Re: 2018 Recruiting

by DoubleDipper Wed May 31, 2017 9:39 am

StudentPilot wrote:As a student, but also a supporter of Pilots Athletics, I don't know if I'm allowed to talk to him or help recruit him by simply pointing out the many positives of attending UP compared to some other universities. Hopefully I'll find someone at school who can set me straight.

I was told Moors has a number of offers from mid-majors, and all want him to come for a visit, but he's one of those guys who, when he matures and gets more exposure in the US through tournaments, will have many more offers.

You're good to go, grasshopper....

As a student you are part of the university environment that any athletic or academic recruit is on campus to visit, and besides, it would be pretty dispiriting if a recruit were to visit UP and be given the "silent treatment" by the students.

As Moors already has a number of offers, and as UP is the first campus he's visited, let's hope his experience is a positive one in part because of students and professors he's met and he decides to give the Pilots a verbal commitment before leaving campus this afternoon.

by Dean Murdoch Wed May 31, 2017 12:10 pm

James Moors...any other Seinfeld fans in here?

"I'm sorry, the card says Moops"
"It's MOORS, you idiot!"

by DoubleDipper Wed May 31, 2017 1:07 pm

Dean Murdoch wrote:James Moors...any other Seinfeld fans in here?

"I'm sorry, the card says Moops"
"It's MOORS, you idiot!"

Never saw a Seinfeld episode until the last one when we thought we'd find out why everyone loved the program so much. But I did track down the bit about the Moors and Moops....it even includes StudentPilot's friend, the guy with the "Kramer haircut," Kramer!

by StudentPilot Thu Jun 01, 2017 10:31 am

With four more official visits to take (and likely a lot of unofficial visits), James Moors did not give a verbal commitment to UP yesterday.

I read a blog that said he currently has at least 8 offers and will likely pull down quite a few more as his team plays the July circuit in the US.

Moors will graduate in December, so he's a likely candidate to sign during the early period in November.

by DoubleDipper Sat Jun 03, 2017 2:41 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:...Conditt would appear a long-shot for the Pilots after expressing interest in a couple of Big-10 schools....

As expected, the first of the Big-10 offers to Chicago native George Conditt has come from Illinois. Conditt now has at least 17 offers, and it's expected he'll have many, many more before he finally selects a place to go to school next year.

by DoubleDipper Sat Jun 03, 2017 8:25 pm

@kani_acree23 wrote: Blessed to receive an offer from Portland university!!! #GoPilots

UP has offered another recruit from Illinois, 6-4/180 Kani Acree from Carbondale.

Acree has seven known offers so far, all from mid-major universities.

2018 Recruiting - Page 3 Kani_a10

by DoubleDipper Sat Jun 10, 2017 10:58 am

DoubleDipper wrote:
@Josh Gershon wrote: 2018 Earl Watson Elite PG Spencer Freedman added an offer from Portland.
Freedman, from Mater Dei HS in Santa Monica, is rated at 4 stars by ESPN, and reportedly has a number of offers that include USC, UCSB, and Rice.

Freedman has decided to pass on UP and a number of Pac-12 schools and head east to Harvard. Cool

by Guest Sat Jun 10, 2017 3:53 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:
DoubleDipper wrote:
@Josh Gershon wrote: 2018 Earl Watson Elite PG Spencer Freedman added an offer from Portland.
Freedman, from Mater Dei HS in Santa Monica, is rated at 4 stars by ESPN, and reportedly has a number of offers that include USC, UCSB, and Rice.
Freedman has decided to pass on UP and a number of Pac-12 schools and head east to Harvard.

What a slacker.

by DoubleDipper Sun Jun 25, 2017 5:37 pm

The Pilots, always on the lookout for someone with both an inside and outside game, have offered 6-7, Zack Naylor, a 3/4 combo who just finished his freshman season at Weatherford Community College...about 30 minutes west of Ft. Worth, Texas.

Naylor (#12 in the video) averaged 20 points and 9 rebounds in his freshman season at Weatherford.

by Sound Voltex Mon Jul 03, 2017 10:05 pm

@VerbalCommits wrote:2018 San Diego Mesa College (CA) C Armstrong Ojunkwu has received an offer from Portland.

https://twitter.com/VerbalCommits/status/881965683248029697

http://www.gosdmesa.com/sports/mbkb/2016-17/bios/ojunkwu_armstrong_epmz
http://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/armstrong-ojunkwu/OFClSHG8EeS00gAmVebEWg/default.htm

by NoPoNeighbor Wed Jul 05, 2017 11:14 pm

Sound Voltex wrote:
@VerbalCommits wrote:2018 San Diego Mesa College (CA) C Armstrong Ojunkwu has received an offer from Portland.

https://twitter.com/VerbalCommits/status/881965683248029697

http://www.gosdmesa.com/sports/mbkb/2016-17/bios/ojunkwu_armstrong_epmz
http://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/armstrong-ojunkwu/OFClSHG8EeS00gAmVebEWg/default.htm

Averaged 16.7 points and 8.8 rebounds in JUCO last year... in only 13.1 minutes/game! That comes to 50.8 points per 40 minutes.

by Dean Murdoch Thu Jul 06, 2017 8:57 am

NoPoNeighbor wrote:Averaged 16.7 points and 8.8 rebounds in JUCO last year... in only 13.1 minutes/game! That comes to 50.8 points per 40 minutes.

Minutes played aren't tracked consistently at the JUCO level, and in games they're not tracked they just list everyone with a stat as having one minute played. He's likely a 30+ MPG guy given those numbers.

Still impressive stats for a freshman in JUCO ball, for sure.

Edit: Here's his game log for last year - http://www.gosdmesa.com/sports/mbkb/2016-17/bios/ojunkwu_armstrong_epmz?view=gamelog&pos=sh

by StudentPilot Sun Jul 23, 2017 9:05 pm

Dinos Trigonas wrote: Portland has offered 6-8 2018 Josh Phillips (Edison/Huntington Beach CA)
National Prep Hoops wrote: @Josh2Phillips this kid is one of the West Coast best kept secrets! Portland has officially offered , congrats

by StudentPilot Tue Jul 25, 2017 12:09 pm

With PFs Austin Stone, Tahirou Diabate, and Hugh Hogland already on the roster, yesterday's offer to 6-8 PF Mehkel Harvey from Huntington Beach means the Pilots now have seven known offers to high school power forwards for 2018.

Devin Ugland wrote:Mehkel Harvey is up to 6-9 with a 7-1 wingspan and doesn't turn 17 until August. Won't be slept on much longer.

by StudentPilot Mon Jul 31, 2017 6:03 pm

Pretty obvious the staff would like to sign a couple of PFs or a C when D'Marques and Philipp graduate....

UP just offered 6-11/200 New Zealand C Yuat Alok, a sophomore this coming season at Chipola JUCO in Florida.

by ExpatPilot Thu Aug 31, 2017 8:36 am

It's been kind of quiet in here lately. If you have ever wondered about how the coaches recruit, well here is your inside look:

With the new Portsides, I imagine we will get to see more awesome content like this.

by **PilotNut** Thu Aug 31, 2017 9:43 am

This week's new format Portside was really informative for hoops fans... Highly recommended.

by DoubleDipper Tue Sep 05, 2017 7:14 pm

PilotNut wrote:This week's new format Portside was really informative for hoops fans... Highly recommended.

Yeah, because of the excellent piece on MBB recruiting I was going to give an updated rundown on who's being recruited and who is no longer being recruited for 2018, but as there has been some talk of both Porters being on scholarship starting with the 2018-2019 season there may be just one scholarships available this coming recruiting period....so it's really a pretty short list!

6-8/185 SF Josh Phillips recently visited campus and today the Pilots got a verbal commitment from him....so it's possible the Pilots are done recruiting for 2018 unless someone unexpectedly departs the team or rumors of scholarships for both Malcolm and Franklin are incorrect. UP is definitely in need of a center....so I'm kind of hoping TP continues to pay Franklin's way (I've heard rumors that TP has decided to sell his Porsche.... Razz

).

Phillips, from Huntington Beach, bypassed known offers from Utah State, Eastern Washington, UCSB, Nevada, Fordham, Florida International, Long Beach State, Cal Baptist and Portland State to commit to UP.

The early signing period is in November...and unless there is a change in plans or the scholarship rumor is not ture, it could be a class of just one!

Go to Phillips' twitter account to see his comments and a 33 second highlight tape with the UP's primary logo superimposed.
https://twitter.com/Josh2Phillips

by NoPoNeighbor Thu Sep 07, 2017 9:56 am

Great news re: Josh Phillips. This staff has got some recruiting swagger going! It will be fun to see these young guys meld into a team over the next 2-3 seasons.

I like this coaching staff's approach to recruiting bigs. Seems like they've decided it's better to have a 6'8" guy who can really play than a slightly bigger guy who can't. A skilled 6'8" (or shorter) guy can do quite well as an interior player in the WCC: Ryan Nicholas, Stacy Davis, Kyle Davis, Paris Blackwell...

by DoubleDipper Tue Sep 12, 2017 9:30 pm

NoPoNeighbor wrote:Great news re: Josh Phillips. This staff has got some recruiting swagger going! It will be fun to see these young guys meld into a team over the next 2-3 seasons.

I like this coaching staff's approach to recruiting bigs. Seems like they've decided it's better to have a 6'8" guy who can really play than a slightly bigger guy who can't. A skilled 6'8" (or shorter) guy can do quite well as an interior player in the WCC: Ryan Nicholas, Stacy Davis, Kyle Davis, Paris Blackwell...

I too am excited that Josh has verbally committed to UP.

The few scouting reports I saw about him indicate he is an "unpolished player with a vast amount of potential who really stepped up his game this summer on the AAU circuit." Also, "this kid is one of the West Coast best kept secrets!"

As a junior, the high flying Phillips averaged 6 points, but his forte was rebounding, 8 per game, and shot blocking, 5 per game.

by DoubleDipper Sat Sep 16, 2017 11:43 am

wrv wrote:Moors film is pretty impressive. Not surprised he has many offers. I suppose getting him to visit is a good sign.

Another indication UP is currently recruiting only one player for 2018 is the fact that James Moors, the 6-9 forward from Auckland, committed to Drake. After checking-out other schools Moors apparently decided UP was the place he'd like to attend, but the staff felt they could do better and that was later confirmed by the commitment from Josh Philips.

If Moors had committed during his visit it may have been a different story, but his equivocation has now landed him in Des Moines and the Missouri Valley Conference.

by DoubleDipper Tue Oct 31, 2017 4:41 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:Yep, 2018....but all part of developing relationships with young recruits and their coaches.
AZ Power Basketball @AzPowerBball
Congrats to our AZ Power Alaskan @kamaka_hepa4 on Offer #2 from University of Portland

That was on May 07, 2015, and it was the first post in this thread.

Kamaka Hepa was recruited by Rev's staff, and since then has received numerous offers, but when Terry and his staff saw Hepa in person during the OSAA Tournament in the Chiles Center, which Hepa's team, Jefferson, won, UP decided they were no longer interested in the PF from Barrow, Alaska.

But other teams were, and today he committed to Texas...an interesting choice, IMO, because unless his family is moving to Austin, it will be a long distance to travel to see him play.

Among the schools that reportedly made offers to Hepa (22 in all) are USC, Stanford, Arizona, Oregon, Oregon State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Washington, Washington State, Miami, Nebraska, and Utah.

by DoubleDipper Tue Nov 07, 2017 8:32 pm

Tomorrow, Wednesday, is the first day of the MBB early signing period, and student-athletes from all over the country will be having their ceremonies with family, coaches, and fellow students.

It's expected that Josh Phillips will sign with the Pilots tomorrow, and that will be it for 2018....but will it?

I can't imagine TP and the staff turning down any talented player with the right "fit" simply to save the cost of Franklin's scholarship.

Fax machines not being what they used to be, we may not hear anything for a few days... Razz

by DoubleDipper Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:34 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:It's expected that Josh Phillips will sign with the Pilots tomorrow, and that will be it for 2018....but will it?

The LA Times is reporting Josh signed with UP early this morning during a signing ceremony with 2 other D1 bound athletes at Edison High School in Huntington Beach.

No word of any other MBB signees coming to UP.....

2018 Recruiting - Page 3 Philli10

by Stonehouse Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:52 pm

It's official! Welcome Josh!!!

http://portlandpilots.com/news/2017/11/8/mens-basketball-signs-athletic-post-josh-phillips-to-nli.aspx

PORTLAND, Ore. – University of Portland men's basketball has signed big man Josh Phillips (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison HS) to a National Letter of Intent on the first day of the early signing period, head coach Terry Porter announced on Wednesday. Phillips (6-8, 190) will join the Pilots as a freshman in the fall of 2018.

Porter and the Portland coaching staff, coming off of recruiting a highly decorated 2017 class, targeted a 2018 post this summer and Phillips caught the staff's attention immediately.

"Josh impressed us with his ability to make multiple effort plays consistently as we evaluated him in the recruiting process," Porter said. "He has good size, length and athleticism, a great motor, and the tremendous desire to defend and rebound. His shot blocking ability will translate right away and he is always doing the little things that helps winning programs. He will bring a unique skillset to our frontline next year."

Phillips averaged six points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots per game as a junior at Edison High School last season. He earned All-Sunset League First Team honors and helped Edison post a 23-5 overall record and 9-1 mark in the Sunset League. The team advanced to the second round of the CIF Southern Section 2017 Boys Basketball Division I-AA Championships.

"Josh has been well-coached throughout his career," Porter added. "Rich Boyce at Edison High School has done a nice job with the program and preparing Josh for this next opportunity. Josh has also been with a very good AAU program in Belmont Shore, playing with and against some of the top talent in the nation."

"I'm very excited for Josh," Boyce said. "Terry and his staff were wonderful throughout the recruiting process. They listened, addressed any and all concerns, and were fantastic. University of Portland is a perfect fit for Josh. I think UP got a steal."

Porter and the Pilots will tip-off the 2017-18 regular season this Saturday at the Chiles Center against Portland State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and tickets are still available by visiting PortlandPilots.com/Tickets or calling the Pilot Box Office at (503) 943-GOUP. Season tickets start at $126.