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Here is the initial
UTEP Basketball recruiting list for the class of 2005. Even though the
Miners have yet to receive a visit from a high school or JC player in
the class of 2005, Miner head coach Doc Sadler and his staff have
already added three players to their roster that will begin play in the
2005-06 season.
The three players are
all Div 1 transfers: 6-9 C Tremaine Fuqua from Oklahoma State, 6-2 PG
Edgar Moreno from Texas, and 6-3 SG Shelton Johnson from Colorado
State. Fuqua and Moreno are both scholarship players, while Johnson
will walk-on to the team. Johnson will join the team in 2005 as a
junior, Moreno as a senior, and Fuqua will have either one or two years
of eligibility remaining, depending on the result of an appeal to the
NCAA. Every other player listed below is an athlete that the Miners are
recruiting that has not yet (to my knowledge) made a commitment to a
university.
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.
Recruiting Needs
There
are three seniors on this year’s Miner team: starting point guard Fili
Rivera, starting forward Omar Thomas, and reserve forward Thomas Gehrke.
This leaves the Miners with three scholarships to hand out.
The
rest of the team consists of five juniors and three freshmen. With
Fuqua, Johnson, and Moreno all coming in as upperclassmen, the Mines
will definitely need an infusion of youth. I believe that the Miners
should focus solely on bringing in high school seniors. They will
primarily need help in the frontcourt, but I wouldn’t be averse to
signing a guard.
Incoming
Tremaine Fuqua, 6-9 C, Oklahoma State
A lot
was expected of Fuqua when he came to Oklahoma State from Skyline
College. Sporting News ranked him the 5th best JC center in
the class of 2003, and another publication listed him as the 8th
best overall JC prospect. He also received votes for the preseason Big
12 Newcomer of the Year. Unfortunately for Fuqua, he was plagued with
injuries, and only ended up playing in two games before being suspend
for his part in a fight outside of a bar. Fuqua averaged
12.5 points,
7.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game as a freshman at Skyline. He
apparently has very good athleticism and offensive skills. According to
one observer, however, he does need to be more aggressive in the paint.
He is appealing to the NCAA for a medical redshirt based on his injuries
last season. If granted he will have two years of eligibility at UTEP;
if not, he will have only one. Fuqua’s size and skill will really help
UTEP, especially if he keeps his nose clean and learns to be more
aggressive.
Edgar Moreno, 6-2 PG,
Texas
Moreno was originally
recruited to UTEP out of Lon Morris College by former Miner coach Jason
Rabedeuax; he made an official visit in the fall of 2002. Moreno ended
up signing with Texas instead, where he was the backup point guard last
season. He played in all 33 games for the Longhorns, averaging 2.9
points in just over 12 minutes per game. His field goal percentage
(.554) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.89) led the team, and ranked
second on the team with almost 2.5 assists per game. He will only have
one year of eligibility with the team, which is disappointing, but his
purpose appears to be to give incoming freshman Vernon Carr another year
to develop before assuming the reigns as starting point guard. Moreno
should prove to be a valuable pickup for the Miners.
Shelton Johnson, 6-3
SG, Colorado State
Johnson
was a
part time starter for the Rams last season. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.9
rebounds, and 1.5 assists in almost 27 minutes a game last year, while
shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 41 percent from the line. While
he hardly looks to be a superstar, these are decent numbers, especially
for a walk-on, and he should be able to contribute off of the bench for
the Miners next season.
Recruiting
Frontcourt
DeAndre
Thomas, 6-6 PF, Westinghouse HS, Chicago
Thomas,
who at times weighs close to 300 lbs, has good post up skills, can
finish down low, and has been described as almost impossible to stop.
In fact, Frank Rusnak, a recruiting guru in the state of Illinois, lists
Thomas as the sixth best senior in the state, and named Shaquille O’Neal
as Thomas’ NBA play-a-like, saying that few can stop him one-on-one.
Illinois recruiting experts Roy and Harv Schmidt agree that Thomas can
dominate inside, but point out that he desperately needs to lose weight,
and that he needs increase his intensity and work ethic. While I save
seen Thomas listed as tall as 6-8, 6-6 appears to be his actual height.
In addition to the Miners, Thomas is receiving interest from Purdue,
Seton Hall, Illinois, Mississippi, Iowa, and Minnesota.
Christopher Lewis, 6-8 PF/SF, L.D. Bell HS, Bedford, TX
Lewis
has been described as a player who can score both facing the basket and
in the post, with the ability to hit the perimeter shot and drive to the
basket. TexasRoundball.com ranks him as the 23rd best player
in Texas for the class of 2005. Lewis is also hearing from Rice, Tulsa,
Texas Tech, Colorado State, New Mexico, TCU, Wichita State and Oklahoma
State.
Dionte
Christmas, 6-6 SF, Lutheran Christian Academy, Philadelphia
Christmas put up some nice stats last season, leading all Philadelphia
high school players w/ a 28 ppg average, to go with 7 rpg and 4 apg. He
was named third team All-Philadelphia last season. Apparently a late
bloomer on the basketball court, Christmas is a slasher with a solid
jump shot. Both the Philadelphia Daily News and TheInsidersHoops.com
list him as a mid-major prospect. He is hearing from Villanova,
Creighton, George Washington, La Salle, Temple, and East Carolina in
addition to the Miners.
Bilal
Benn, 6-5 SF/SG, Hargrave Military Institue, Chatham, VA
Benn,
who was originally a member of the class of 2004, committed to Siena
last summer, but did not qualify. He appears to be wavering in his
commitment to Siena, as he is now expressing interest in other schools,
including UTEP, St. Joseph's, N.C. State, Villanova, and George
Washington. Benn is known as an excellent defensive player who is good
in transition and has a solid jumper. He averaged 15 points, 6
rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks per game last season.
Keith
Darden, 6-9 C, Coastal Christian Academy, Virginia Beach, VA
I’m not
really sure whether or not we are recruiting Keith Darden. Mike
Decourcy, writing for Fox Sports, listed Darden at 6-9, claimed that he
was a “key target” for the Miners, and said that he was a rising player
this past summer. Unfortunately he said that Darden was from Sante Fe,
TX; the Keith Darden from Santa Fe, TX is a 6-1 Senior-to-be at Austin’s
Concordia College. It appears that he was talking about a Keith Darden
who played last season at Fort Washington (MD) National Christian
Academy, before transferring to Coastal Carolina for a year of prep
school for the upcoming season. HoopScoop Online once listed him as the
12th best Junior in the Maryland area, and risebasketball.com has him as
the 14th best player in VA, WV, MD, & DC areas. TheInsidersHoops.com
lists this Keith Darden as a fairly athletic player who plays well in
spurts. Unfortunately I have not found anything other than DeCourcy’s
article tying Darden to UTEP.
Backcourt
Kerchel Carter, 6-0
PG, Cardozo HS, Bayside, NY
Carter is originally
from Ontario, where is was ranked as one of the top players in the
province. He is quick, a great ball handler, and can shoot from long
range. He averaged 20 points, 12 assists, and 5 rebounds per game last
season. TheInsiders.com lists him as a 2-star athlete. His current
list includes UTEP, Nebraska, Iowa State, UTEP, New Mexico State, and
Central Michigan.
York Sims, 6-1 PG/SG,
Clarksville (AR) HS
Sims is a southpaw
who likes to take it to the hole, but also posses a good-looking jump
shot. He has experience playing both guard spots. His favorites right
now are Arkansas and Oklahoma State, but he is still open, and is also
considering UTEP, UCONN, Southern Illinois, Wichita State, and
Stanford. TheInsidersHoops.com lists him as a 2-star athlete.
Comments
It is my
understanding that the basketball staff has about 30 players that they
are seriously looking at, meaning that the above list is far from
complete. From the above list, I am most impressed with DeAndre Thomas
in the frontcourt and Carter and Sims in the backcourt. Thomas, while a
little short for a power forward, does have the kind of game you want
for a player at that position, and appears to have enough talent to earn
some minutes as a freshman. Carter appears to have the quickness and
play making abilities necessary to become a quality point guard at the
Div 1 level, while Sims’ versatility would make him a good pickup. I do
have to wonder why Christmas, with his great numbers, isn’t more highly
regarded. He, Benn, or Lewis might make fit in well with the team, but
I want to find more information on them before making that judgment.
The Miners should
start bringing in some players for visits soon, at which time we will
have a better idea of whom they are seriously recruiting. Best of luck
to coach Sadler and his staff both on the court and the recruiting trail
this season. |
