2024 Recruiting

Attempting  to shore up the strong forward/center positions, the Pilots have obtained a commitment from 6-2 or 6-3 Brynn Eshoo of Fremd HS in Illinois. More information  would be helpful.

https://x.com/BrynnEshoo/status/1578056516246142977?s=20

https://x.com/BrynnEshoo?s=20

https://x.com/BrynnEshoo/status/1632541672843116545?s=20

wrv wrote:Attempting  to shore up the strong forward/center positions, the Pilots have obtained a commitment from 6-2 or 6-3 Brynn Eshoo of Fremd HS in Illinois.

Eshoo's style of play and movement around the court reminds me of Alex when she arrived at UP.

Not only that, but she is proudly wearing Alex's #12 in her July UP visit photo...

DoubleDipper wrote:

wrv wrote:Attempting  to shore up the strong forward/center positions, the Pilots have obtained a commitment from 6-2 or 6-3 Brynn Eshoo of Fremd HS in Illinois.

Eshoo's style of play and movement around the court reminds me of Alex when she arrived at UP.

Not only that, but she is proudly wearing Alex's #12 in her July UP visit photo...

Those highlights show some skills, both  inside and outside the paint. As far as playing in a manner reminiscent of Alex, let it be so when she gets here.

Early NLI signings begin today, and the only student-athlete we know of who has committed to UP is Brynn Eshoo from Illinois.

With the departure of Dickie, Hamilton, and Cochrane at the end of the season, we know there will be 3 scholarships opening up, and it is hoped Piath Gabriel will be eligible to take one of those.

With the current success of the program resulting in transfers wanting to come to UP, Mike could be holding scholarships until the spring semester signing and transfer season to begins.  

https://x.com/wfhoops1/status/1722245276973593046?s=20

Speaks for itself.

https://x.com/FremdAthletics/status/1722265516830851277?s=20

wrv wrote:https://x.com/wfhoops1/status/1722245276973593046?s=20

Speaks for  itself.

Haha, old school on Brynn's NLI...Portland University!!

DoubleDipper wrote:

wrv wrote:https://x.com/wfhoops1/status/1722245276973593046?s=20

Speaks for  itself.

Haha, old school on Brynn's NLI...Portland University!!

Oddly the year on the document is 2022. Is if possible that someone other than the U's athletic department composes these?

As reported, Brynn Eshoo has signed, and I have been told one more is in the process of signing during the early NLI period.

I am just guessing she is tall and from California, not Australia...

But I honestly don't know who it might be.

Come on, wrv, you usually find the answers to these questions!!

Unfortunately I do not know who we may be waiting to.sign.  We have offered plenty of bigs I suspect including Avery Waddington of Idaho who signed with Montana, Sara Bartholomew of Utah who signed with BYU and Tabitha Betson, heavily recruited, originally out of Melbourne, who signed with Colorado.

We also initially recruited a point from Idaho Sydnie Rodriguez who signed with our good friend Skyler Young.

The remaining recruiting efforts for bigs are not known to me or are not public.

For those harboring the hope that the river boat Pilots might bring to dock a capable center, try Ella Zimmerman, 6'4" from Sports Academy Swish and Redondo Union HS in California.

Appears to be a good signing. Pilots are recruiting well. At least one poster suggests she will be a difference maker.



https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw5hD0MRvB-/?ref=igb_blog&hl=a


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailybreeze.com/2023/05/02/daily-breeze-all-area-girls-basketball-redondos-ella-zimmerman-is-the-player-of-the-year/amp/

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BimZTNerHoM

The video posted by wrv above (and below), of UP recruit Ella Zimmerman, is one of the best recruiting videos I have seen...

After losing Emily Sewell to the portal, it seems we could use an Ella on the team, joining Emma Strelein and Emme Shearer...

If no one goes into the portal this spring, and with Dickie, Cochrane, and Hamilton running out of eligibility and Gabriel becoming eligible, the addition of Zimmerman and Eshoo should round out the recruiting for the Class of 2024.

DoubleDipper wrote:If no one goes into the portal this spring . . .

Seems like that is a pretty big "IF" for any team these days.

In addition to what has been written, some of her athletic accomplishments bear mentioning. As a junior Ella averaged 20 ppg, 12 rebounds per, 2 blocks per, 2 assists per, and 2 steals per game. She was league MVP and all area POY, probably for an area with population greater than Oregon.  She had 16 double doubles last year despite missing much of the early part of the season. She earned league  MVP and all area honors as a sophomore in softball. She earnedd accolades as a volleyball player. She is an athlete.
Coach Meek must be pleased to have secured Ella's NLI, alliterative name and all. Good job recruiting  by coaches and staff.
Ella is regarded as a defensive force. Fortunately we have a defensive force at center now. Let's hope the fall off is not great.

Go Pilots.

.

Two articles briefly describing the recent in game performance of the Pilots 2024-25 recruits:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/high-school-sports/2023/11/26/23976141/kenner-classic-high-school-basketball-notebook:

https://ground.news/article/redondo-girls-basketball-bounces-back-with-win-over-oak-park

Pilots, in fact, sign a third player, a 5'10" combo guard, regarded as an adept 3P shooter. Mercer Island's Caitlin Monahan, whose grandfather Terry, according to the article, likewise played at Portland.  Welcome Caitlin. As with our other two signers, the limited video we have shows a player with skill: clearly  Caitlin can shoot. The game summary in the Bainbridge Review, link below, indicates Caitlin  hit 5 threes just two nights ago.

https://portlandpilots.com/news/2023/12/1/womens-basketball-pilots-sign-three-recruits-from-class-of-2024.aspx

https://twitter.com/_caitlinmonahan/status/1618798495317770246/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1618798495317770246&currentTweetUser=_caitlinmonahan&mode=profile

https://www.bainbridgereview.com/sports/spartans-open-season-with-historic-loss/

https://twitter.com/_caitlinmonahan/status/1626327003938041857/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1626327003938041857&currentTweetUser=_caitlinmonahan&mode=profile

wrv wrote:Pilots, in fact, sign a third player, a 5'10" combo guard, regarded as an adept 3P shooter. Mercer Island's Caitlin Monahan, whose grandfather Terry, according to the article, likewise played at Portland.  

Caitlin's grandfather, Terry, was on the UP-freshman team before he transferred to St. Martins, as I recall. I think Terry died about 15 years ago, so unfortunately never got to see Caitlin play.

The reason we had not heard of Caitlin Monahan before her signing is because she did not make her first visit to UP until the beginning of the signing period on November 8, and then signed just four days later after discovering how "great" the coaching staff and "girls" were.



Asked what she planned to major in at UP, she responded, "I am going to be a nurse!"  

(By the floor burn on her right elbow, I think she's going to fit right in at UP).

An interesting sequence: would you bring in a prospective recruit on November 8, the first day of the signing period, only after another recruit chose not to accept your offer? Does Piath remain?

Regardless, Caitlin come shoot the lights out.

The linked article also details Caitlin's recruiting and notes Caitlin's leadership qualities.


https://www.mi-reporter.com/sports/monahan-unleashes-a-shot-of-positivity-to-mihs-program/


Go Pilots.

wrv wrote: Does Piath remain?

Yes...the staff is working with her and remains confident she will be eligible to play next season.

DoubleDipper wrote:

wrv wrote: Does Piath remain?

Yes...the staff is working with her and remains confident she will be eligible to play next season.

We should probably remain skeptical that Piath may play this year. But the case summarized below suggests that possibility if the injunction continues and is upheld. Second time transferees are immediately eligible per the ruling and the injunction against the  NCAA. How about this Friday at Stanford?

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/39105796/judge-ruling-favors-ncaa-athletes-seeking-2nd-transfer

wrv wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:

wrv wrote: Does Piath remain?

Yes...the staff is working with her and remains confident she will be eligible to play next season.

We should probably remain skeptical that Piath may play this year. But the case summarized below suggests that possibility if the injunction continues and is upheld. Second time transferees are immediately eligible per the ruling and the injunction against the  NCAA. How about this Friday at Stanford?

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/39105796/judge-ruling-favors-ncaa-athletes-seeking-2nd-transfer

Contrary to the “positive” remarks I heard from the staff earlier, I have not seen Piath anywhere near the team or the Chiles Center in recent weeks.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/39114574/ncaa-transfers-compete-tro-lose-eligibility-decision-reversed
Not that it makes a difference to the Pilots now apparently but the NCAA has declared that any such 2nd time transferees would lose a year of eligibility if they played in a game and the court decision was subsequently reversed.

wrv wrote:https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/39114574/ncaa-transfers-compete-tro-lose-eligibility-decision-reversed
Not that it makes a difference to the Pilots now apparently but the NCAA has declared that any such 2nd time transferees would lose a year of eligibility if they played in a game and the court decision was subsequently reversed.

For Piath it would mean the loss of a year of eligibility if she played in one of the next three games and the court decision were reversed.