Changes from the last update include the removal of Andy Hannan, a 6-6 SF who has committed to UNLV; the removal of Guilherme Teichmann, a 6-8 SF who has committed to Tulsa; the removal of Alfred Neale, a 6-5 SF who has committed to New Mexico; the removal of Oswaldo Gonzalez, a 6-9 PF, and Dramane Diarra, a 6-8 PF, both of whom no longer are interested in UTEP; the removal of Chris Gonzalez, a 6-6 SF, who will be a non-qualifier; the addition of Darris Manciel, a 6-10 C; the addition of Josh Kramer, a 6-8 SF/PF; the addition of Steve Castleberry, a 7-0 C; the addition of Tim Anderson, a 6-3 SG; the addition of Tyler Hatch, a 6-5 SG; the addition of Tovoris Baker, a 6-6 SF/PF; and the addition of Filberto Rivera, a 6-2 PG. As always there is 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 the Miner Digs message board. Miner fans, please continue to search for potential UTEP recruits, and post any info you receive.

Coming into the season the Miners had five scholarships to award. Two of those scholarships were awarded in the fall to 6-11 C Rudy Mauricette and 6-0 PG Sheldon Pace, and a third scholarship was awarded when 6-7 SF Thomas Gehrke joined the team mid season. This leaves two scholarships to award this spring. This number, however, is hardly set in stone.

Mauricette played for Lee College this past season, which is coached by Bobby Champagne’s brother Roy. Champagne was the one who recruited Mauricette to UTEP. There are very strong rumors that Mauricette will follow Champagne to North Alabama. There are also rumors that Pace is an academic question mark.

Even if Mauricette stays we need a lot of help inside, as I do not expect Rudy to be able to contribute much to the team. As we need help immediately I believe that we should sign a JC center or power forward. It would also be smart to sign another point guard in case Pace does not qualify. If any more scholarships open up the staff should look to sign the best prospect available, hopefully from the HS ranks in order to start building for the future.

Mauricette, who is originally from Paris, is ranked as the 20th best JC center by Van Coleman (Van Coleman’s Future Stars recruiting newsletter) and as one of the top 20 JC centers by Kenn Littlefield (Littlefield JUCO Report). The reasons for these rankings, however, appear to be Mauricette’s physical attributes, rather than his abilities on a basketball court. Unfortunately he falls far short of translating his athletic ability to any success on the court, as he has averaged only 2.5 points and 2.9 rebounds through Lee’s first 24 games. He would be better off following Champagne to North Alabama, where he won’t have to face Div 1 opponents.

The two questions on Pace are the health of his knees and his academic status. The talented point guard suffers from tendonitis in his knees, and sat out the season as a result. When healthy, there is no doubt in my mind that he can play. As a freshman last year he averaged 21.4 points while 50% shooting from the field, 6.9 assists, and 2.9 steals per game. He is listed by Lindy’s as the number 4 JC PG prospect in the country and by Van Coleman as the number 9 JC PG. His outside shooting (29.5% from the arc), and free throw shooting (62.1% from the line) need work, and he needs to learn to hit the books. If he does qualify and comes to UTEP healthy, his decision to sit out this season will be a blessing for the Miners, as he will have three years of eligibility remaining. TheInsiders.com lists him as a three star prospect.

Gehrke, who joined the team on Jan. 20, averaged 7.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Coming in w/ a reputation as a shooter he struggled, hitting only 34.4% of his shots and only 3 of his 26 three pointers. He has shown a decent touch inside the arc, and some ability to take the ball to the basket. With two years remaining after this season, Gehrke has proven himself to be at least a solid addition to the team, and, w/ the off season to adjust to life in the states and a full season next year to get used to the coaching staff and his teammates, he may prove to be quite a find.

Nixon averaged 14 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks as a junior. 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, but is hitting the weight room hard. The good news is that he understands his weaknesses, and is working very hard to correct them. According to one report, Nixon, a good student, was asked to come to UTEP on an academic scholarship, but refused, wanting the full ride of an athletic scholarship. Besides UTEP, most of the interest in Nixon is coming from small, out of state schools.

Mathews averaged 20 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks per game as a junior. He is described as broad shouldered and strong w/ decent hops, and knows how to use his weight when motivated. According to an article from the fall, he was primarily seeing interest from Houston, Minnesota, Texas-Arlington, Stephen F. Austin and Lamar, but was also contacted by LaSalle, Wisconsin, Kansas State, Tulane, Tennessee, Wyoming, Tulsa, and UTEP. I do not have a recent update on him. Rivals.com lists him as a 3 star athlete.

Davis, a teammate of Sheldon Pace, is a powerfully built player that we were recruiting two years ago out of Upland, CA. At the time he was said to have the Miners at the top of his list, but he obviously didn’t qualify. Davis is a good defensive rebounder, has good inside moves, a soft touch, good hands, active feet, and can hit the midrange shot. Unfortunately he does not always play at full intensity. Last fall, Davis told the El Paso Times that he would sign in the spring, and that UTEP was in his top three. I do not have a recent update on Davis, but have heard that he is receiving interest from some mid major west coast schools.

Williams, whose Cedar Hill team ranks as one of the top 2 or 3 HS teams in the state, really turned heads at the Academy National Invitational Tournament, which was held in Houston over the holidays. Naturally a power forward, he easily scored over bigger players in the tournament, while also showing the ball handling and passing skills he is going to need to move over to the small forward position at the next level. In addition to the Miners, Arkansas State, Stetson, and Wichita State are also involved. TheInsiders.com lists him as a three star prospect.

Porch has seen his stock rise and fall over the past two years. As a junior he came seemingly from nowhere to be ranked as the #1 small forward on the west coast by PrepWest Hoops (PWH). Since then, his ranking by PWH has slowly slipped, and he is no longer ranked among their top 15 small forwards. Still, his performances in some of the holiday and summer tournaments prove that he has a lot of ability. According to Rudy Carey, his HS coach, the Miner coaching staff loves his athleticism, perimeter shooting, and size. Some reports have him interested in visiting UTEP, others don’t mention the Miners as being on his list. He is also interested in UMass, CSU Northridge, Boston University, Washington State, Denver University, and Portland. The Insiders.com lists him as a two star prospect.

Thomas is a very intriguing prospect. He led all JC players in scoring (36.1 ppg) and was second in rebounding (17 rpg), and is the first JC player ever to amass over 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds over his JC career. With numbers like this you would expect everyone in the country to be knocking at his door, but this is not case. Thomas is apparently an average athlete, needs to improve his 3-point shooting, and is a defensive liability. Still, he has an extremely effective midrange game and obviously knows how to hit the boards. He visited UTEP last weekend, and is expected to also visit Dayton, Evansville, and Rhode Island before making a decision.

Johnson, who originally committed to Manhattan last fall before changing his mind, is averaging 18 points and 16 rebounds per game. The powerfully built player is strong inside, but is also working on his jump shot and ball handling skills. In addition to the Miners he is also hearing from Campbell and Ball State.

An outstanding athlete, Manciel is a player who has been receiving accolades since high school. As a senior in Detroit he was named the best center in Michigan, was ranked by one source as the 15th best center in the country, and made several top 100 lists. He didn’t qualify, however, and went the JC route. Coming into the season he was named as the 2nd best JC center prospect by the Sporting News and as a top 15 JC prospect by Street and Smith’s. He has not lived up to his accolades, however, as he only averaged 2.2 ppg and 2.3 rpg, hitting only 20 of 46 shots from the field and 13 of 41 free throws this season. While he may have the athletic talent I would prefer to pass on Manciel. TCU and McNeese State have also shown interest.

Kramer is a fundamentally sound player w/ good skills and understanding of the game. He can hit the perimeter shot, and both drive and post-up. TheInsiders.com lists him as a solid mid major prospect. I believe Kramer might be able to help down the road, but do not see him making an impact as a freshman. According to Bob Gottlieb’s Branch West Basketball Academy website, Kramer is receiving interest from UTEP, Princeton, San Diego State, Oklahoma State, Colorado State, Holy Cross, Cornell, and Loyola Marymount.

I’ve seen Castleberry listed as talented but inconsistent. He apparently showed some flashes, but did not play well enough to get consistent minutes at Dixie. He only managed 4 ppg and 4 rpg this past season. As with Mauricette and Manciel, I am not impressed w/ big men that cannot perform at the JC level, not matter how much talent people say they have. Maine, Richmond, Rider, and Monmouth having been following Castleberry all season, while UTEP and Easter Michigan have recently been showing interest.

Baker averaged 15.1 points and 11 boards a game this past season. He is strong on the offensive glass and in the post, where he hit 70% of his shots this past season. His free throw shooting needs work, as he only hit 50% from the line. He is scheduled to visit Missouri-Kansas City and Detroit in the next two weeks, while UTEP and Ohio University have also been showing interest.

One of the most versatile performers in his conference, Gainey was averaging 19.2 points and 8.2 boards a game, while shooting 43% from the field, 34% from the arc, and 71% from the line late into the season. He is a very athletic player who can play inside, shoot from long range, and put the ball on the floor, and he can defend and block shots as well. He made an official visit to UTEP last fall. At that time he was also considering Wyoming, St. Mary's, Southern Utah, San Jose State, Portland, Colorado, and West Virgina. UTEP and Southern Utah were out to see him play recently.

Zack Wright and his teammate Lorenzo Williams were named co-MVPs of District 17-4A after leading Ellison to a 35-2 record, a fourth place ranking in the state, and to the Region III finals. Wright is an explosive player who averaged over 17 ppg this season. In addition to the Miners he is also hearing from Arkansas-Little Rock, Stephen F. Austin and UT-Pan American. According to one source Wright is not likely to sign w/ the Miners, though this has not been confirmed by Wright or by Killeen coach David Manley.

Williams, who was the District MVP as a junior, shares that honor w/ Zack Wright this season. Like Wright he averaged over 17 ppg, and helped formed what some consider to be the best backcourt in the state of Texas. Both he and Wright have the ability to play either guard position. According to one source Williams is being recruited by Holy Cross, Rice, and Colorado State, and UTEP is out of the picture. As with Wright, this has not been confirmed by the player or the coach.

Marshall averaged 17 ppg for Crane this season, which went 25-0 before being upset in the playoffs. He is a player currently more adept at playing the shooting guard position, but, according to Illinois recruiting experts Roy and Harv Schmidt, can play the point as well. According to Frank Rusnak, another Illinois recruiting expert, Marshall is quick, very fast w/ the ball, has great ball handling skills, and an outstanding 3-point shot. In fact, according to Crane coach Anthony Longstreet, he is capable of going on streaks where he hits 6 or 7 threes in a row. Marshall, who is ranked as the 12th best senior in the state of Illinois by Rusnak, is also receiving interest from Fresno State, Washington State, Wyoming, and NC State.

Parron is a very small player, but, according to observers, has a huge heart. He is very quick, is adept at slashing towards the hoop, and has good hops. He is a good scorer and floor leader. I do not know what other interest he is receiving at this time.

Rivera average 16.2 points and 6.7 assists per game this season, leading Southeastern to a 33-1 regular season, an NJCAA Tournament Championship, and a number 1 ranking in the final NJCAA Basketball Div 1 Poll. He was named MVP of the NJCAA Tournament, and was also named First Team All-NJCAA. The extremely quick Rivera, can shoot and score, plays smart, is a tremendous leader, and is a good passer. He was originally recruited by Rouco to Florida International, where he verballed but did not sign. He will visited UTEP this past weekend, and is expected to sign this week.

Anderson, who averaged more than 22 ppg this season, was named the El Paso Times All City Boys MVP. Anderson stood out this year w/ his shooting, court sense, and ability to create scoring opportunities for his teammates. He has expressed interest in UTEP, the Air Force Academy, Wayland Baptist University, West Texas A&M and Cochise Junior College. I believe that the staff will ask him to walk on if he wants to join the Miners.

Hatch averaged over 22 pts and 11 rebounds for Paschal this season, which finished 23-11. He was named Co-MVP of his district and was named 2nd Team All State in Class 5A. He is also involved w/ Creighton, Davidson, Albany, Boston U., Massachusetts, Holy Cross, San Diego, UT-Arlington, and Utah State.

Recent comments made by head coach Billy Gillispie lead me to believe that there are several players that we are involved w/ that are not listed here. Unfortunately I have not been able to discover their identity, and will provide analysis based on the names listed above.

I am not real happy w/ the inside players remaining on the list. Lionel Davis appears to be the best of the lot, but even he has trouble w/ inconsistency. We do appear to be involved w/ many quality wing players, and I would be happy w/ signing just about any of them. If forced to pick a favorite wing, I would have to go w/ Antonio Porch, as I like his abilities and the fact that he would be coming in as a freshman. Rivera would be an outstanding addition to the backcourt. If Pace does not qualify I would also like to bring in a HS guard, preferably Marshall, but Parron, Wright, or Williams appear to be quality players as well. Unfortunately, by the time we find out Pace’s status, the players listed will likely be unavailable.

The good news is that the recruiting picture should become much clearer next week. Unfortunately some things, like Pace’s eligibility, will likely take longer to sort out.

Go Miners!!!!

E-Mail the Author: Mark Hatch