I don't follow NU B-Ball recruiting as much as I do football and was wondering if Collins recruited the Cashaw kid from Stevenson HS? I just watched Stevenson play this evening against Simeon and came to two conclusions, Jalen Brunson is vastly overrated as a college prospect and Connor Cashaw is pretty underrated. I think letting this kid out of state to go to Rice was a mistake. He is athletic, a good shooter and defender who should continue to develop. Brunson, on the other hand, will struggle to excel because at Villanova he will be going up against players every night who are likely bigger and faster than he is. Brunson shot barely 30% and got half his points from the free throw line thanks to a Jordanesque type treatment from the refs that will not persist when he gets to college. The other observation I had is that Iowa and Nebraska got themselves two very nice players from Simeon in Moss and Morrow, respectively. THe Simeon kid going to Illinois, DJ Williams, is way overrated.
Did NU Recruit Connor Cashaw from Stevenson HS?
- Thread starter corbi296
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OMG, you are SOOO wrong about Brunson. Can't go by one game. He's top point guard in country. BB IQ is off the charts and he will play immediately at Villanova. I saw his dad in HS and their games are so similar. Father was big time HS recruit and had great career at Temple. Just look at what Stevenson has done since Brunson got there. As for Capshaw, I believe his family originally from Houston area. From what I've seen, didn't think he was good enough for NU to recruit. It's not like he's going to a big time program. Know Notre Dame looked at him but don't think they offered.
You are SOOOO wrong about how I formed my opinion. I have seen this guy play dozens of times since he was a freshman. The kid is a terrific HS player who will struggle to excel in college because he will be shorter, slower and less athletic than basically every single player he will be matched up against next year. That was the case against Simeon and it will be next year. In addition he is more of a scorer than a great shooter. He needs to take a lot of shots to get his point and I just don't see him having the ball in his hands as much as he wants it at Villanova. The last thing I will say is that he gets about 12-15 points a game in HS on free throws that he earns because of the Jordanesque treatment he gets from the refs in HS. The kid isn't getting these calls going to the hole, he is getting them mostly on jump shots where he pump fakes, leans in and then puts on exaggerated act after he was the one to initiate contact. That BS won't work next year. This kid is nowhere near the player that Tyler Ullis was last year.
This post was edited on 2/23 6:22 PM by corbi296
This post was edited on 2/23 6:22 PM by corbi296
Where were you when he was dominating Proviso West tournament last 2 years? So you're saying you're smarter than all the experts who voted him on McDonald's All-America team or Tom Izzo, who spent last 3 years trying to land him. Look at his shooting numbers. They're much better than you're giving him credit for. It just sounds like you have something against the kid instead of looking at him objectively. I can tell you Villanova is ESTATIC they landed him and that if somehow Collins had landed him, they would be having a parade down Central Street!
I have been in attendance at the Proviso West tournament every year for probably the last 25 years so I have seen my share of ball players. Like I said, Brunson is overrated. He will be a good college player, but he is no star.
I acknowledge that you know your stuff and have surely seen plenty of high school basketball games, additionally, I'm impressed you have made it out to Proviso West during the holidays for so long.
However, I feel like this post and its content is too focused on one game. I was there as well. I saw Jalen struggle and turn in maybe his worst game of the season. I also saw Jalen drop 56 points with 0 turnovers against Whitney Young in the state semifinal against Jahlil Okafor last year. I think Villanova is a perfect fit for him. It's a school that breeds point guards. And when you talk about how he lacks size and athleticism, Brunson's 6'1.5 frame compares favorably to that of former Nova guards Kyle Lowry (6'0), Maalik Wayns (6'2), and Scottie Reynolds (6'2). It was mentioned already but you never mentioned his basketball IQ, his work ethic, and his effort on the defensive side of the ball.
As for Cashaw, he benefits greatly from the attention drawn to Brunson. Heck, there are four division one caliber players in their starting lineup. A lot of his points come relatively easily on fast breaks or easy put backs, from what I've seen in five or so games. I think you saw him at his peak, the 21/11 performance against Simeon. He's definitely worth of D1, but as a 2 star (per 247 sports), there's no way Northwestern would offer him.
However, I feel like this post and its content is too focused on one game. I was there as well. I saw Jalen struggle and turn in maybe his worst game of the season. I also saw Jalen drop 56 points with 0 turnovers against Whitney Young in the state semifinal against Jahlil Okafor last year. I think Villanova is a perfect fit for him. It's a school that breeds point guards. And when you talk about how he lacks size and athleticism, Brunson's 6'1.5 frame compares favorably to that of former Nova guards Kyle Lowry (6'0), Maalik Wayns (6'2), and Scottie Reynolds (6'2). It was mentioned already but you never mentioned his basketball IQ, his work ethic, and his effort on the defensive side of the ball.
As for Cashaw, he benefits greatly from the attention drawn to Brunson. Heck, there are four division one caliber players in their starting lineup. A lot of his points come relatively easily on fast breaks or easy put backs, from what I've seen in five or so games. I think you saw him at his peak, the 21/11 performance against Simeon. He's definitely worth of D1, but as a 2 star (per 247 sports), there's no way Northwestern would offer him.
Wow, not sure how you pulled this thread out of the old woodwork...
Statistically speaking, looks like he's doing fairly well.
15.5 pts 7.1 Reb 3.2 Ast
Wins and losses...not so much. Rice was 7-24 last season.
Is he available as a grad transfer?
Corbi had to redeem himself after the Cam Meredith prediction blew up.
Just ribbing you, Corbi. I always enjoy your informative and insightful posts.
Just ribbing you, Corbi. I always enjoy your informative and insightful posts.
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Boy, you had to dig deep to find this one. I’ll admit I was obviously wrong. What is obvious is that Brunson is a great competitor/leader and that enables him to overcome athletic limitations that are still pretty obvious in my eyes. I still can’t believe that his little ball fakes and body leans have worked in the college game but they have. He draws a significant amount of fouls on plays where he is initiating the contact. A significant amount of his points are from the line. I doubt he will be much more than a bench role player in the pros but we’ll see if he proves me wrong once again.
In your defense Corbi, Brunson is unique. He is not big, he's not overly quick, he's not an elite level shooter, etc...he just has an amazing ability to get to the rim and score in the lane for a guy of his size. As others said way back in 2015 (I still can't believe someone found/remembered this thread), he has a high basketball IQ that helps overcome the fact that none of his skills on the court are off the charts. That drive and leadership are immeasurable attributes as well.
So now who do you think will get drafted first? Brunson, or Mo Wagner??
I would prob lean slightly to Brunson though it's a close one, and I'd rather have him on my team in the NBA personally. Also, he could be a nice balance to Dunn I think - good shooter, good defender but slightly on the short side while Dunn has more length. And he could play a role as a reserve combo guard with the Bulls roster - play off ball more when Dunn is in the game w/o Lavine, but then run PG when Dunn is sitting and Lavine is in at the 2. That said, the Pellies pick will fall in the ~20-22 range I think? Brunson's value might be more in the 25-30 range. (I would guess Wagner might be early second round, or maybe the end of the 1st)
Part of me was thinking that way as well, but looks like he's played all three years at Rice (no redshirt) and would slot in more as a wing.
Rice also changed its coaching staff last year and Cashaw stuck around, so it's hard to imagine him transfering even if it was an option (eg: graduated in 3 years).
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He shot 41% from three....the Bulls don't have a player on their roster who shot over 39% from three.
Brunson can shoot and convert from anywhere on the floor, versus a Ben Gordon-type who can only shoot threes.
And, Brunson has a super tight handle and knows how to run an offense.
I love Brunson, and I think he'll make a nice career for himself in the NBA. But I think that 41% is a lot more a product of that offense than him being an elite shooter. Five guys on Villanova shot 39% or better from the 3 point line this year. Yes, they are the national champs and they have a lot of good players, but their offense also is designed to create a lot of great looks from deep.
Brunson is a good shooter. He's actually good at pretty much everything. My point is that none of his skills are elite level. He's just a damn good basketball player. Nothing wrong with that.
Absolutely. And there is a line....or a distance....for every shooter at which it all breaks down.
With that said, Brunson looks like a pretty strong kid. But the pros will work him out and they'll know if his shooting translates to the pro game.
I would take Brunson if I had the choice.
BTW -is everyone that is off base in a prediction going to have it resurrected three years late?
BTW -is everyone that is off base in a prediction going to have it resurrected three years late?
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