Re: 2016 Recruiting

by DoubleDipper Tue Jul 28, 2015 4:20 pm

NoPoNeighbor wrote:So this reported offer to Soares is... Inaccurate? Now off the table? With Smoyer and Monson coming in next season, there are no further scholarships available.

I tend to think the reported offer to Soares was accurate, but that the coaching staff evaluated the two candidates and went with the one who had committed over the one who may or may not commit until November or April. If that is the case, then one would presume the offer to Soares has now been withdrawn....

.......however, if by chance Monson doesn't come to UP or one of the current players decides to transfer, there would be one more scholarship open up before the regular signing period begins on April 13th.

Isn't it fun to speculate and express one's less than fully informed opinions? Razz

by DTLegend Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:45 am

Isn't it fun to speculate and express one's less than fully informed opinions?

Isn't that what the internet is for?

by DoubleDipper Thu Aug 20, 2015 9:31 am

DoubleDipper wrote:I’m surprised (the late) Dean Murdoch hasn’t yet mentioned this this young Canadian, Jauquin Bennett-Boire from just up the road in Saskatoon, but for now schooling and balling in BC. At 6-2/205 as a high school sophomore, he could create a lot of havoc in the WCC with the proper conditioning.

With UP's two scholarships for next year already spoken for, it is no surprise the Pilots' potential recruits from the high school class of 2016 are moving on....and Jauquin Bennett-Boire is one of those.

He announced yesterday that he's decided to stay in British Columbia and has committed to be the UBC Thunderbirds next point guard.

by Dean Murdoch Thu Aug 20, 2015 10:17 am

DoubleDipper wrote:He announced yesterday that he's decided to stay in British Columbia and has committed to be the UBC Thunderbirds next point guard.

I don't think it's official as I don't see it anywhere, but I'm pretty sure JBB actually finished all his HS classes this summer and could join the T-birds immediately...not in 2016.

by DoubleDipper Thu Aug 20, 2015 2:05 pm

Terry Cahill wrote:I don't think it's official as I don't see it anywhere, but I'm pretty sure JBB actually finished all his HS classes this summer and could join the T-birds immediately...not in 2016.

OK, maybe it's not "official," but I got it from the UBC's twitter feed:

UBC Thunderbirds ‏@ubctbirds · 21h21 hours ago  Vancouver, British Columbia
#MBB: Excited to announce that reigning @BC4ABoysBBall MVP @jbb3oh6 has committed to the @UBC men's #basketball program! #GoBirdsGo #UBC

And Juaquin posted this on his twitter account:

Jauquin BB ‏@jbb3oh6 · 21h21 hours ago
Excited to announce that I am the newest member of the UBC program! Big things to come for me and the Thunderbirds! #WarReady

That would be very nice if he could join the team now....

by Dean Murdoch Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:09 am

DoubleDipper wrote:With UP's two scholarships for next year already spoken for, it is no surprise the Pilots' potential recruits from the high school class of 2016 are moving on....and Jauquin Bennett-Boire is one of those. He announced yesterday that he's decided to stay in British Columbia and has committed to be the UBC Thunderbirds next point guard.

Or not...that didn't last long.

by DoubleDipper Fri Aug 28, 2015 12:30 pm

Terry Cahill wrote:Or not...that didn't last long.

Um, what do you know that you are not sharing? JBB is not going to UBC, and has reopened his recruiting?

Regina, perhaps?

by Dean Murdoch Fri Aug 28, 2015 1:11 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:Um, what do you know that you are not sharing? JBB is not going to UBC, and has reopened his recruiting?

Regina, perhaps?

Don't know what his destination is...he said on his Twitter that he's "abolishing" his commitment to UBC.

Regardless, he ain't coming to UP Cool

by DoubleDipper Fri Nov 06, 2015 7:08 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:This picture of Timothy and his mom was taken two years ago:

Interesting, Timothy Soares, who apparently had a number of D1 offers (but not from UP, as it turns out) has committed to play NAIA basketball at The Master's College in Santa Clarita, California.

Timothy's mom was once the head women's coach at The Master's College and his dad was a student-athlete on the men's team there.

by Dean Murdoch Wed Nov 11, 2015 8:50 am

@CoachReveno wrote:Coming in hot! Excited to announce signing of 6'10" Joseph Smoyer, Franklin HS PDX to @PilotHoops. Details to follow on @PortlandPilots

Do they still have to fax in these NLIs or has the NCAA finally entered the 21st century on this one?

by wrv Wed Nov 11, 2015 10:03 am

Welcome Joseph.

From Left Coast Recruiting, Joseph made an appearance on Sunday:

leftcoastrecruiting#Repost @reggieprimetime with @repostapp
・・・
Joseph Smoyer, a 6'10" Center in the 2016 class and 1st Team All-PIL selection, has accepted his invitation to the Primetime Top 40 Showcase on Sunday, November 8th at Jefferson H.S. in Portland, OR. This is an invite-only event showcasing the top talent in the Northwest!

Joseph is the top big man in the 2016 class and has accepted a scholarship offer from local West Coast Conference school University of Portland. We are excited to welcome Joseph to the showcase where he will bring his toughness and no nonsense attitude. #PT40

by DoubleDipper Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:03 pm

Yes, UP has confirmed they have received the signed NLI from Joseph Smoyer.

Unless there is a transfer, Smoyer and Alec Monson are the only new signees expected on campus for 2016

by Guest Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:41 pm

Hey, DD, thanks for keeping us informed, and on this Vet's Day, thanks for your service.

by Geezaldinho Wed Nov 11, 2015 6:46 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:Yes, UP has confirmed they have received the signed NLI from Joseph Smoyer.

Ther's a shocker. I bet nobody had a clue.

by DoubleDipper Mon Feb 08, 2016 5:12 pm

You know, just looking at the body language of a couple of current Pilots, there may be a need to reopen this thread.

No, I have no knowledge of anyone contemplating a transfer, but I'll be surprised if everyone's back next season. Hope I'm wrong.

by wrv Mon Feb 08, 2016 6:37 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:You know, just looking at the body language of a couple of current Pilots, there may be a need to reopen this thread.

No, I have no knowledge of anyone contemplating a transfer, but I'll be surprised if everyone's back next season. Hope I'm wrong.

Obviously you have identified a player who has a strained relationship with the staff and I assume you are alluding to him. I wonder whether one of our centers may be on the move . . .

I hope this thread does not later concern the recruitment of a new head coach in 2016 . . .

by NoPoNeighbor Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:41 pm

wrv wrote:I hope this thread does not later concern the recruitment of a new head coach in 2016 . . .

One effect of a coaching change is the chance that there will be an exodus of players. See LMU after Max Good was fired.

How many Pilots will abandon ship if Reveno is canned at the end of the year? Just about any school in the country would love to pick up Wintering. Jazz Johnson and Tyson could probably find another D-I home. I think it would be an uphill battle for any of the other Pilots to find a D-I transfer option.

What about recruits Monson and Smoyer? UP would certainly grant them releases from their LOIs if there is a coaching change. And that commitment from Bonton for 2017?

Despite the two wins last weekend, it seems highly likely that we'll be looking for a new coach, and potentially a bunch of new players (think JC transfers) come mid-March. After the tough talk at the end of the last two seasons from Leykam about the urgency of winning and seeing the program get better, I don't see how he can keep Reveno after yet another disappointing, bottom-half-of-the-conference season.

UNLV fired its coach mid-season this year, which achieves two things: 1) It gives one of the assistants a chance to prove himself as a candidate for the head coaching job; and 2) The players finish out the season without the coach who recruited them, thereby giving them an opportunity to experience a post-coaching-change future at that same school, and perhaps reduce the number of transfers.

by wrv Tue Feb 09, 2016 5:10 pm

I am fresh out of inside information on whether Reveno will return, but I am not sure it is likely our intrepid coach will get "canned." I do know there are a fair percentage of folk who post here who think your suggestion that it is likely is right.

I like Reveno. I think he has been here for quite a while because of the last four coaches hired he is the best combo of recruiter and field general. We do not have a track record of improving the program with a coaching change. A new coach may put more gasoline on the fire and we will spend just about 5 years figuring out how that did not work. Steel, Chavez and Holton . . . new coaches at one point who ultimately left for reasons that we hope will not repeat with a new staff. The program's downward trend may continue at an accelerated pace, notwithstanding how earnest the new staff is.

by DoubleDipper Wed Feb 10, 2016 10:24 am

From USA Today, today:

The University of Portland’s Eric Reveno uses both the Warriors and Spurs film to inspire his team in terms of spacing and ball movement — and the increasing awareness of the importance of good three-point shooting.

“The analytics and the video and the Synergy and the stuff we're all breaking down constantly is telling us all of these things,” Reveno said. “Guys that face the floor, create opportunities for others. Different lineups that are better than others and why. I think all that stuff that we're all analyzing on our own teams and then all of a sudden you get a team like the Warriors, or even the Spurs, sometimes as an example of, OK, this is what it looks like. It reiterates the point.

"If you don't have shooters on the floor with all the scouting and stuff that's going on, the floor just gets very small because then (your opponent) doesn't have to guard certain shooters."

Reveno pointed out two West Coast Conference foes that remind him stylistically of Golden State: Gonzaga and its use of Kyle Wiltjer (who stretches the floor but can still post up), and St. Mary's and its use of 6-10 center Evan Fitzner (who does the same, but rarely posts up).

by dholcombe Wed Feb 10, 2016 4:40 pm

NoPoNeighbor wrote:
wrv wrote:I hope this thread does not later concern the recruitment of a new head coach in 2016 . . .
After the tough talk at the end of the last two seasons from Leykam about the urgency of winning and seeing the program get better, I don't see how he can keep Reveno after yet another disappointing, bottom-half-of-the-conference season.

The team could win the tournament. That would save his job if it's currently on the chopping block. We've had more success against the good teams in the league than the bad ones. All we have to do is avoid the play in game and hope to get seeded against a good team in our first game. After that hope no bad teams upset anyone so we don't have to play them later.

by DoubleDipper Fri Mar 11, 2016 12:40 am

With the OSAA 6A Basketball Tournament going on at the Chiles Center this week a number of outstanding high school ballers are getting a good look at UP.

Franklin High School did not make it past Clackamas to get into the tourney, but that didn't stop Pilots signee Joseph Smoyer from watching the action and visiting with the staff.

It's too bad 2011 grad and current Pilots DBO, Kramer Knudson, can't coach young Mr. Smoyer, but at least he can be a mentor....

2016 Recruiting - Page 4 Joseph10

Reminder: as fans/boosters/donors, we are not allowed to have contact with Mr. Smoyer until he begins summer classes at UP.

by Geezaldinho Fri Mar 11, 2016 9:25 am

DoubleDipper wrote:
Reminder: as fans/boosters/donors, we are not allowed to have contact with Mr. Smoyer until he begins summer classes at UP.

Not what the NCAA site says. It only say we can't INITIATE contact. And it says we can't have contact FOR RECRUITING PURPOSES.

You don't have to go running away if you cross paths with mr. Smoyer.

The full text of the NCAA FAQ's:

Role of Boosters
Boosters play a role in providing student-athletes with a positive experience through their enthusiastic efforts. They can support teams and athletics departments through donations of time and financial resources which help student-athletes succeed on and off the playing field.

Boosters, referred to by the NCAA as “representatives of the institution’s athletic interests,” include anyone who has:

Provided a donation in order to obtain season tickets for any sport at the university.
Participated in or has been a member of an organization promoting the university’s athletics programs.
Made financial contributions to the athletic department or to a university booster organization.
Arranged for or provided employment for enrolled student-athletes.
Assisted or has been requested by university staff to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes.
Assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student athletes or their families.
Been involved otherwise in promoting university athletics.
Once an individual is identified as a “representative of the institution’s athletics interests,” the person retains that identity forever.

Only institutional staff members are permitted to recruit prospective student-athletes. Generally, NCAA rules prohibit anyone else from contacting (calling, writing or in-person contact) prospects or the prospect’s relatives or guardian for recruiting purposes.

Students are still considered prospects even if they have signed a National Letter of Intent or any other financial aid agreement with a university.

Boosters are not precluded from continuing established friendships with families who have prospective student-athletes. However, boosters may not encourage a prospect’s participation in university athletics or provide benefits to prospects that were not previously provided.

If a violation occurs, it may jeopardize a student-athlete’s eligibility for intercollegiate competition, jeopardize a school’s membership status with the NCAA or cause a booster to lose access to all booster benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions
What are examples of impermissible recruiting activities?
As a booster, you may not:

Contact a prospect in-person on-campus or off campus.
Contact a prospect by telephone, email, Internet or letter.
Provide gifts or free or reduced-cost services to a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or guardian.
Employ relatives, guardians or friends of a prospect as an inducement for the prospect’s enrollment and athletics participation at a university.
Become directly or indirectly involved in making arrangements for a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or guardian to receive money or financial aid of any kind.
Provide transportation for a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or guardian.
Provide free or reduced-cost tickets for a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or guardian to attend an athletic event.
Provide any material benefit (e.g., meals, cash) to the coach of a prospect, including high school, two-year college, AAU and summer team coaches.
What are examples of permissible activities?
Even though there are many rules prohibiting your involvement with prospects and the recruiting process, as a booster, you may:

Notify university coaching staff members about noteworthy prospects in the area.
Attend high school or two-year college athletic contests or other events where prospects may compete, provided no contact occurs.
Continue existing friendships.
What are examples of impermissible extra benefits for enrolled student-athletes?
As a booster, you may not provide a student-athlete or a student-athlete’s friends, relatives or guardians:

Tickets to college or professional sporting events.
A special discount, payment arrangement or credit on a purchase or service.
Cash or loan or signing or co-signing of a loan.
Transportation, payment of expense or loan of any automobile.
Benefits or gifts based upon the student-athlete’s athletic performance.
Free or reduced rent or housing.
An honorarium to a student-athlete for a speaking engagement.

What are examples of permissible benefits for enrolled student-athletes?
With the various NCAA rules and regulations regarding benefits to student-athletes, it may seem difficult to be a part of a university’s athletic programs. However, you can show your support as a booster in other ways. Boosters may:

Make contributions to university programs and other gift-in-kind arrangements.
Attend university athletic events and show student athletes you support their hard work and dedication to the university.
What is institutional control?
Institutional control of athletics is a fundamental requirement of NCAA legislation. Specifically, the NCAA constitution states that the university must:

Control its intercollegiate athletic programs in compliance with the rules and regulations of the NCAA.
Monitor its program to insure compliance.
Identify and report to the NCAA instances in which compliance has not been achieved and take corrective actions.
Insure those members of university staff, student-athletes and other individuals or groups representing the university’s athletic interests comply with NCAA rules and regulations. As a member of the NCAA, the university is responsible for the actions of its alumni, supporters and fans.
Are there any rules for the employment of enrolled student-athletes by boosters?
Student-athletes may only be compensated for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate. Compensation may not include remuneration for the value that the student-athlete may have for the employer due to the student-athlete’s athletics status. Transportation may not be provided to student athletes unless it is a benefit provided to all employees.

by DoubleDipper Fri Mar 11, 2016 10:16 am

Thanks for posting the rules, Geezer....it's a good reminder of our responsibilities all year round.

Yup, be cordial, but don't initiate contact!

by Geezaldinho Fri Mar 11, 2016 4:16 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:Thanks for posting the rules, Geezer....it's a good reminder of our responsibilities all year round.

Yup, be cordial, but don't initiate contact!

The last fight on the NCAA regulating contact with others was when a baseball player used an attorney as an agent to feel out his pro prospects. The NCAA called it a violation of amateurism. A federal judge sternly reminded the organization that , as an unincorporated buisness association, the NCAA had no right to deny the attorney-client relationship.

This falls under a similar constitutional right. The first ammendment has been interpreted in an NAACP case to grant freedom of association. The premise is that no outside body can regulate who can associate with whom, and when a person can decide to terminate such association.

Which makes the "booster for life" position of the NCAA interesting. I love these cases where the poobahs in Indiana overreach.

Maybe I'll buy season tickets to Gonzaga and then buy hookers and blow ( or peanut butter spread) for their next Sabonis.

by ExpatPilot Fri Mar 11, 2016 4:22 pm

Geezaldinho wrote:This falls under a similar constitutional right. The first ammendment has been interpreted in an NAACP case to grant freedom of association. The premise is that no outside body can regulate who can associate with whom, and when a person can decide to terminate such association.

Is this NAACP v. Alabama? That's a very interesting argument you have there.