Here is the latest UTEP Basketball recruiting list for the class of 2003. Changes from the last list include the addition Justin Benson, a 6-8 PF, Evan Moore, a 6-6 PF, Keith Smith, a 6-6 SF, Sean Raboin, a 6-6 SF/SG, and Travis DeGroot, a 6-3 PG, and the removal of Tyler McGinn, a 6-6 SF, and Stephen Verwers, a 6-10 C/PF. There is also brand new analysis.

Please recognize that the list is far from inclusive, as it only lists players whom we have been able to find connected to UTEP through the Internet. Please also realize that the opinions expressed here are my own, and not those of the coaching staff. My opinions on the players are formed from reading what the recruiting experts have to say about the players and from what others who have seen them play have to say. Thanks to everyone who has contributed info on any of these players, as I have only been able to compile this list through information provided by posters to this message board. Miner fans, please continue to search for potential UTEP recruits, and post any info you receive.

There will two seniors on the team this year, and they are both frontcourt starters: Roy Smallwood and Justino Victoriano. Two other potential frontcourt starters, Darius Mattear and Antone Jarrell, will be juniors next season, meaning that they will be seniors by the time the class of 2003 arrives at UTEP. The departure of Smallwood and Victoriano, combined with one open scholarship from SF Nick Enzweiler’s transfer, will leave us with three available scholarships. With a lot of youth at the guard position, I suggest that the staff use all three scholarships on frontcourt positions: a center, at least one power forward, and another power forward or small forward.

If recent rumors about the potential departures of Jarrell and PG Luke Martin prove true it would change our recruiting needs. We would have one more scholarship available, adding a small forward would become more of a priority, and we might want to consider adding one backcourt player as well.

Daniels, who averaged 12 points and 14 boards as a junior last season, is listed as a four star player by the TheInsiders.com. He is a big kid w/ a soft touch around the basket. Conditioning has apparently been a problem in the past, but according to one source he has lost some weight recently and looks to be in great shape. Recruiting guru Dave Telep of TheInsidersHoops.com really likes him, calling Daniels a high major prospect. His academics appear to be a big question mark. In addition to UTEP he is currently hearing from Oklahoma, Kansas State, Tulsa, Drake, Texas Tech and Texas A&M.

TheInsiders.com rates Martin as a two star prospect. He apparently played really well at the Mats Madness tournament, showing improved hops and athleticism, an aggressive inside game, and the ability to knock down the perimeter jumper. Tracy Pierson of PrepWest Hoops (PWH) calls him a “poor man’s Luke Walton.” Martin is hearing from UCSB, St. Mary’s, and Nebraska in addition to the Miners.

Nixon averaged 14 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks last season. His strength is his defense and rebounding. On offense he has range out to the three-point line, but definitely needs to work on his post play. He needs to add bulk, as he only weighs 195 lbs right now, but is hitting the weight room hard. The good news is that he understands his weaknesses, and is working very hard to correct them. In addition to UTEP, he is also considering Texas Tech, Rice, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Hardin-Simmons.

Mathews, who averaged 20 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks per game last season, is primarily seeing interest from Houston, Minnesota, Texas-Arlington, Stephen F. Austin and Lamar, but he has also been contacted by LaSalle, Wisconsin, Kansas State, Tulane, Tennessee, Wyoming, Tulsa, and UTEP. He is described as broad shouldered and strong w/ decent hops, and knows how to use his weight when motivated. Rivals.com lists him as a 3 star athlete.

Arbet, who is quite a bit skinnier than Matthews, averaged 11.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game last season. He is described as being raw, meaning that he will need to be brought along slowly. He lists the Miners as his favorite, and is also interested in Baylor, Arkansas-Little Rock, and Southwest Texas. Rivals lists him as a 2 star prospect.

Benson, despite averaging 31 points, 12 boards, and 3 blocked shots per game, came into the summer as a relatively unknown player on a stacked Houston Hoops AAU squad. Despite playing on a team w/ All Americans Ndudi Ebi, Tack Minor and Daniel Gibson, Benson was still able to impress and make a name for himself this summer, showing good range on his shot and toughness under the boards. His favorites appear to be Houston, Pepperdine, Kent State and St. Louis at this point, but I believe the Miners are still in the mix. Rivals lists Benson as a 3 star prospect, and he is ranked 104^{th in the nation by Clark Francis of Hoop Scoop Online.}

Moore is considered to be a better football prospect at TE than a basketball prospect. Still, he averaged 22 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots a game last season, and has received attention for his play on the hardwood as well. Moore really likes the PAC-10, and lists Stanford, UCLA, and USC as his favorites. According to Rivals he has expressed some moderate interest in UTEP and a host of other schools. Rivals lists him as a 3 star prospect.

Smith is another player who really made a name for himself this summer. Despite leading Putnam HS to a state championship, recruiters questioned his ability to play the SF position at the next level. He apparently showed the shooting touch, ball handling ability, and athleticism to prove that he can play at that position this summer, and has received a lot of interest. In a newspaper article published on Aug 11 and written by Smith himself, he named New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, Tulsa, Kansas State, Tulane, West Virginia and UTEP as the schools in which he is most interested. In a radio interview with recruiting guru Greg Swaim on the same day, he listed six of the above schools, omitting UTEP and Tulane. I do not know if this was an oversight, or if he had trimmed his list between the time he wrote the article and the time he talked w/ Swaim. He has scheduled visits w/ Nebraska, New Mexico, and Colorado, but has yet to schedule his other two visits.

Raboin made a name for himself at the Super Showcase and AAU Nationals in Orlando this summer. The blue-collar player gave his Iowa based Brothers team a much needed boost of offense during the tournament. The Miners have scheduled an in-home visit, and hope to schedule him for an official visit. Tulsa, Wichita State, LSU, Oral Roberts, Wisconsin-Green Bay and Stanford are also interested.

Rivals just recently listed DeGroot under the “PG” section of the Miners basketball database. We were involved w/ DeGroot this past spring, when it looked like he might be able to come out of NMMI as a freshman. I do not know if we are involved w/ him now or not. DeGroot did average 13.1 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.1 rebounds last season, but I can’t see us becoming too involved w/ him, as we do not need to bring in a JC PG.

The lack of names on the above list is frustrating. We have been able to find many more names associated w/ UTEP at this point in the past, but this year the information is comparatively dry. Fortunately assistant basketball coach Ryan Carr has informed me that the staff is as involved w/ as many players as they have been in the past. Hopefully we will be able to find out the names of more of these players in the near future.

From the list above, I like Chris Daniels and Justin Benson at the center and power forward positions, and Keith Smith at small forward. It appears that the two post players, as of right now, that we have the best shot at are Nathan Nixon and Jason Arbet. This concerns me a little, as it appears to me that both players need to put in a little work before they are ready to contribute at the Div 1 level, and we need players that are capable of contributing right away.

Hopefully the staff will bring in Nixon, Arbet, and a host of other players in for visits, and will be able to sign their players they covet most. Best of luck to coach Jason Rabedeaux and his staff.

Go Miners!!!!