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Top 5 players from Western PA over last 25 years

recruitsreadtheseboards

recruitsreadtheseboards

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Jun 11, 2006
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We are talking out of HS since 1990. It is scary to think 1990 is 25 years ago, but it really got me thinking. Who would make up this list? I think this is indicative of the lack of talent we have produced. With Wisconsin being in the Past 2 final 4's, it was worth looking at Rivals rankings of Milwaukee/Wisconsin area players.

I did this in another post. It comes to mind today with UCLA's Devon Looney (who is from Milwaukee) deciding to enter the NBA draft after his freshman year.

2015: The Milwaukee area had two 5 stars and 2 4 stars. Kids have signed with 2 with Marquette, 2 with Wisky and 1 with Maryland.

2014: The Milwaukee area had one 5 star (Devon Looney) and two 4 stars. Kids signed with UCLA, Marquette, Iowa and Vanderbilt.

2013: The Milwaukee area had 5 4 stars, and had two kids sign with Marquette, 1 with Wisky, 1 with IU, 1 with KState, 1 with Iowa State 1 with Nebraska 1 with Va Tech. That is 8 kids playing in the top 6 conferences.

2012: The area had one 5 star (Sam Dekker) and one 4 star (JP Tokoto) Wisky signed 2 kids, UNC 1, UConn 1, 1 to Seton Hall, 1 to Mississippi State and 1 to Texas Tech.

I don't think I need to dig any deeper than this. Wisconsin doesn't even have all of its kids from the area, and the area kids certainly are willing to go elsewhere, but in this span of 4 years, the area produced four 5 stars and 10 4 stars. If Western PA would produce like that, not just Pitt would be better served, but Duquesne and PSU.

Who would be on Fab 5 from the last 25 years? Pretty tough call.

Dejuan Blair would obviously be on it.
Dan Fortson would be on it even though he only played 1 season at Shaler. Besides, Altoona is now in the WPIAL.

DJ Kennedy.
Terrelle Pryor
Herb Pope? TJ McConnell? Deandre Kane?

Really tough to fill the roster out and shows really the lack of talent we have had in this area.
 
DeJuan Blair
Dante Calabria
Brandon Fuss-Cheatam
Terrell Pryor
Fortson
Lance Jeter
Ben MaCauley


These were the names that came to me when I saw the post, but you are right, its been a wasteland for the most part
 
Fuss-Cheatham and Calabria in the backcourt. Pryor at the 3. Pope and Blair upfront. Kennedy, McCauley, Nick Bosnic, and Zeke Marshall off the bench. Add in Rowan and Young if you want to count them as WPIAL products. I didn't count Fortson as a WPIAL player and I only rated this team based on them as recruits. I'm sure I'm missing some early 90's guys.
 
There was that quick run of players last decade with Blair, Pope, Kennedy, Baldwin and Pryor named to the Fab 5 then Kane the following. Bad luck with Pope. Too bad he had the upbringing that he did and the lack of discipline. He could have really helped from 2008 to 2011. It also stunk that a 7-footer from the area had no desire to play at Pitt and decided on Akron. Zeke Marshall would have helped and benefitted with a redshirt season.

It seems the recent kids have been good enough for the mid-majors, but not ACC quality. McConnell went from mid-major to growing into a really good point guard, the type Pitt could have used these past couple of seasons.

Michael Young, I consider local and is becoming a good player and could really have a breakout season in 2015-16. I have no idea if his follow teammate, Thorpe, is any good at PSU. Sheldon Jeter could still become a key player at Pitt. His cousin Lance had two solid seasons at Nebraska. He fell off the radar trying football then playing hoops at a JuCo. I don't think Pitt pursued him at all, but he also would have helped Pitt in his two seasons of D-I ball.
 
Fuss-Cheatham was very good at all ...

... Va Tech's Devin Wilson is probably already better.
 
Don't leave off Tom Pipkins because he chose to go to Duquesne. He's every bit the player Calabria was, and could have gone to a bigger school. Pipkins is still I believe the region's all time leading scorer, and Kevin Price is second. Nick Bosnic, who played with those two at Duquesne, originally went to Maryland, so you know he was rated pretty highly. How on earth was Duquesne so bad with those 3, plus Mike James, who is the most successful pro from a local school since at least Charles Smith, maybe since Nixon, and Knight. That coach had to really be bad to not even come close to a winning record playing in the A10 with a core like that.
 
Is this a list of the top 5 recruits coming out of WPA or ...


... or list of the 5 best college basketball players from Western PA?
 
Re: Is this a list of the top 5 recruits coming out of WPA or ...


Of course I'm tooting my horn for the hometown kid, but Kevin Price Jr. (I always include the suffix because I grew up with his dad) would rank up there. Unfortunate turn of events in his life, but doesn't diminish his accomplishments as a player.
 
Re: Is this a list of the top 5 recruits coming out of WPA or ...

Originally posted by DT_PITT:

... or list of the 5 best college basketball players from Western PA?
Click to expand...
WPIAL, and City League.
 
Yes, but I'm wondering if he's looking for the 5 best recruits ...

... coming out of high school or the five best College players from this area.
 
Here's the list ...


Starting Five

C- Dejuan Blair
F-Danny Fortson
F-DeAndre Kane
G-Dante Calabria
G-TJ McConnell


Other scholarships

F-DJ Kennedy
F-Pete Sauer
C-Zeke Marshall
G-Devin Wilson
F-Mike Young
G-Archie Miller
G-Tom Pipkins
F-Ben McCauley
This post was edited on 4/7 4:30 PM by DT_PITT
 
Re: Here's the list ...

Coming out of HS Tom Pipkins was a beast. He won a national slam dunk contest in Las Vegas, and is the all-time leading scorer in the area. He was a Top 75 player coming out. I have a Street and Smith's magazine with all the elite recruits and he was one of them. He is in the top 5 if this is the criteria.
 
Dan Fortson


Just FYI:

After his sophomore year, he and his mother moved to Shaler and Fortson transferred to Shaler Area High School for his final two years in high school (1992-1994). He was ruled ineligible his junior year for all but two games and averaged 30 points per game his senior year
 
I'm confused...

Are you saying Wilson is a better college player than Fuss, or that he was a better HS player than Fuss?

I seem to remember Fuss as a multiple title winner at Blackhawk, a guy who scored a ton of points, got a scholarship to Ohio State. I agree that he wasn't a great college player, or maybe even a good college player, but he was clearly a more coveted player coming out of HS than Wilson, no?
 
Re: Is this a list of the top 5 recruits coming out of WPA or ...


Originally posted by TempleBAPittMPA:

Of course I'm tooting my horn for the hometown kid, but Kevin Price Jr. (I always include the suffix because I grew up with his dad) would rank up there. Unfortunate turn of events in his life, but doesn't diminish his accomplishments as a player.
Click to expand...
I just had this conversation with someone, how good was big Kev?
 
Re: I'm confused...

DT is saying that WIlson is a better college player. I also remember Fuss missing like 11 years worth of games due to a leg injury at OSU.

I don't think WIlson will play much next year at VT, but I could be wrong.
 
Re: I'm confused...

Better in college only.

Fuss was the far better recruit as you've said.
 
Re: Is this a list of the top 5 recruits coming out of WPA or ...

Originally posted by DT_PITT:

... or list of the 5 best college basketball players from Western PA?
Click to expand...
I think overall. Meaning HS+College+ Pro if any career.
 
Originally posted by ameoba defense:
Don't leave off Tom Pipkins because he chose to go to Duquesne. He's every bit the player Calabria was, and could have gone to a bigger school. Pipkins is still I believe the region's all time leading scorer, and Kevin Price is second. Nick Bosnic, who played with those two at Duquesne, originally went to Maryland, so you know he was rated pretty highly. How on earth was Duquesne so bad with those 3, plus Mike James, who is the most successful pro from a local school since at least Charles Smith, maybe since Nixon, and Knight. That coach had to really be bad to not even come close to a winning record playing in the A10 with a core like that.
Click to expand...
If Pipkins knees held up....he may have been on this. But they didn't.
 
Re: Here's the list ...

Originally posted by DT_PITT:


Starting Five

C- Dejuan Blair
F-Danny Fortson
F-DeAndre Kane
G-Dante Calabria
G-TJ McConnell

Other scholarships

F-DJ Kennedy
F-Pete Sauer
C-Zeke Marshall
G-Devin Wilson
F-Mike Young
G-Archie Miller
G-Tom Pipkins
F-Ben McCauley

This post was edited on 4/7 4:30 PM by DT_PITT
Click to expand...
That's a really good list DT and I would have basically gone with that. I was just trying into figure out how to weigh in Pryor and Pope who both were national level recruits at one point.

But your entire group probably best represents the spirit of my post and question.
 
Re: Here's the list ...

Originally posted by Piranha:
Coming out of HS Tom Pipkins was a beast. He won a national slam dunk contest in Las Vegas, and is the all-time leading scorer in the area. He was a Top 75 player coming out. I have a Street and Smith's magazine with all the elite recruits and he was one of them. He is in the top 5 if this is the criteria.
Click to expand...
This is all true. People are selling him short because he chose to stay local, and ended up at Duquesne. This was during the era when the Millers were supposedly working against Pitt, so he struck Pitt off of his list early. If you can remember, there was bad blood, dating back to the Vanderbilt disaster. The Millers were angry, because they felt that Paul Evans threw DAP under the bus after the game. The relationship quickly became poisoned after then. Even though Pipkins wasn't a Blackhawk player, the Millers had a lot of juice with all of the local kids back then.
 
Re: I'm confused...

Ok, I guess i misunderstood the question. No doubt, Wilson is the better college player.
 
Re: Here's the list ...

Originally posted by ameoba defense:

Originally posted by Piranha:
Coming out of HS Tom Pipkins was a beast. He won a national slam dunk contest in Las Vegas, and is the all-time leading scorer in the area. He was a Top 75 player coming out. I have a Street and Smith's magazine with all the elite recruits and he was one of them. He is in the top 5 if this is the criteria.
Click to expand...
This is all true. People are selling him short because he chose to stay local, and ended up at Duquesne. This was during the era when the Millers were supposedly working against Pitt, so he struck Pitt off of his list early. If you can remember, there was bad blood, dating back to the Vanderbilt disaster. The Millers were angry, because they felt that Paul Evans threw DAP under the bus after the game. The relationship quickly became poisoned after then. Even though Pipkins wasn't a Blackhawk player, the Millers had a lot of juice with all of the local kids back then.
Click to expand...
As did JO Stright.

Here is what is getting old. "The Millers hate Pitt". "JO Stright hates Pitt". "Jim render hates Pitt" "Jack McCurry hates Pitt"
"George Smith (McKeesport) hates Pitt". "the guy at Trinity hates Pitt". "North Allegheny kids don't like Pitt", "Mt Lebanon kids don't like Pitt".

Everyone in Western PA hates Pitt and is conspiring against it. Even if this is true (and it isn't) then Pitt needs to look inwards and see why people supposedly hate it so much, that they would steer kids away from Pitt.

I knew Pipkins HS coach. He did not hate Pitt. I forget how Pipkins ended up at Duquesne instead of Pitt (and remember in the 80's still Duquesne was a reputable program) but this stuff has to stop.
 
Re: Here's the list ...

Originally posted by recruitsreadtheseboards:

I knew Pipkins HS coach. He did not hate Pitt. I forget how Pipkins ended up at Duquesne instead of Pitt (and remember in the 80's still Duquesne was a reputable program) but this stuff has to stop.
Click to expand...
For the life of me, I can't recall now WHO was Valley's coach in those days, but it's likely that coach was a protege of Mike Rice the elder (those of my age bracket will recall him as the coach who put that school on the map). Given that, it would seem natural that a top-notch player from there would gravitate to Duquesne because of the Rice/B. B. Flenory linkages.
 
Re: Is this a list of the top 5 recruits coming out of WPA or ...

Originally posted by HonestPitt:


Originally posted by TempleBAPittMPA:

Of course I'm tooting my horn for the hometown kid, but Kevin Price Jr. (I always include the suffix because I grew up with his dad) would rank up there. Unfortunate turn of events in his life, but doesn't diminish his accomplishments as a player.
Click to expand...
I just had this conversation with someone, how good was big Kev?
Click to expand...
Before I can answer that, I need to know which of the two are you referring to as "big Kev".
 
Re: Here's the list ...

Tom Myers coached Pipkins in HS. He was a very good HS coach. He actually attended quite a few Pitt games, so if anything he was a Pitt fan. Carroll was the Duquesne coach at the time and he was a good recruiter. He was relentless in his pursuit, and Evans had gotten lazy in recruiting by that point. BB Flenory is an ex-Valley HS and Duquesne grad who carried weight in the community. Another factor on Duquesne's side.
 
Re: Is this a list of the top 5 recruits coming out of WPA or ...


Originally posted by TempleBAPittMPA:
Originally posted by HonestPitt:


Originally posted by TempleBAPittMPA:

Of course I'm tooting my horn for the hometown kid, but Kevin Price Jr. (I always include the suffix because I grew up with his dad) would rank up there.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
I mean the father, heard he was really good. Also asked that same person to rank the Washington's as athletes. Are you Zo Daddy?
 
How is Kevin Price Jr not on this list now that I think about it. He is the second leading scorer ever I believe.
 
Re: Here's the list ...

Kevin Price was a good HS player who continued to improve each year and went onto a good college career. But he was not as good as Pipkins. Pipkins was nicknamed Baby Jordan. He was about 6-1 or 6-2, but think Julius Page leaping ability on a more muscular body in HS. He was also a very good outside shooter and could drive to the hole with ease. He played up a grade when he was in 7th grade, and dunked on my friend who was in 8th. Pipkins dropped 30 on G'Town, and had 20+ in his first game. I am not sure what happened in college, but he was special as a Jr. and Sr. in HS.
 
Re: Is this a list of the top 5 recruits coming out of WPA or ...

Originally posted by HonestPitt:



Originally posted by TempleBAPittMPA:


Originally posted by HonestPitt:




Originally posted by TempleBAPittMPA:

Of course I'm tooting my horn for the hometown kid, but Kevin Price Jr. (I always include the suffix because I grew up with his dad) would rank up there.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
I mean the father, heard he was really good. Also asked that same person to rank the Washington's as athletes. Are you Zo Daddy?
Click to expand...
No, I'm not Zo, but I lived up the street from him. He and Kevin Sr. were the anchors of the Duquesne High frontcourt, but had the disadvantage of playing when DHS was playing up in classification with the big boys. They still managed to both make all-Section and take their talents to CCAC (out of academic necessity), but for a variety of reasons didn't take it any further. In Kevin's case, that was quite an accomplishment because he didn't come out for basketball until his junior year, and spent that season on the JVs because he was so raw. Needless to say, he progressed rapidly, but you have to wonder what he might have been if he had gotten started earlier.
This post was edited on 4/7 7:32 PM by TempleBAPittMPA
 
Re: Here's the list ...

Not to pick on Devin, but there are tons of guys who went to smaller schools and probably had better careers than him. Ryan Evanochko averaged 15ppg his last two years at UW Green Bay. Plenty of Mac kids I'd take over Devin. And also, Bosnic played for a Sweet 16 team as a freshman and scored over 1000 points in his 3 years at Duquesne.

Buzz is actively trying to recruit over Wilson.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
Drunk ... you make a good point ...

... about Devin. His inclusion on the list is debatable.

I simply included him on the list because I wanted another point guard on the list (as if I was recruiting my own team).

Nonetheless, I think the fact we are debating whether or not Wilson belongs on the list really makes Owtie's original point.
 
Completely correct about Price ...

.... he became a really decent player at Duquesne. But he wasn't that close to Pipkins, and no one else on my list with the exception of Devin Wilson (who I only included to give my team another point guard).
 
Salvadori made a decent career for himself at UNC ...


... and even got a cup of coffee in the NBA. But by the time he was a senior at UNC, he averaged 6+ PPG and 5+ RPG at UNC in something list 20 MPG for Carolina. That was his senior year, and before that, his contributions were fairly negligible. Again, at UNC that's pretty decent.

But Zeke Marshall had very nice career at Akron averaging something like 13 PPG and 8 RPG as a senior. But the time they were seniors, they might not have been all that far apart. But regardless, Marshall was fairly clearly the better college player.


This post was edited on 4/7 9:08 PM by DT_PITT
 
Re: Here's the list ...

Originally posted by Piranha:
Kevin Price was a good HS player who continued to improve each year and went onto a good college career. But he was not as good as Pipkins. Pipkins was nicknamed Baby Jordan. He was about 6-1 or 6-2, but think Julius Page leaping ability on a more muscular body in HS. He was also a very good outside shooter and could drive to the hole with ease. He played up a grade when he was in 7th grade, and dunked on my friend who was in 8th. Pipkins dropped 30 on G'Town, and had 20+ in his first game. I am not sure what happened in college, but he was special as a Jr. and Sr. in HS.
Click to expand...
Tom Pipkins is third all time in scoring for Duquesne, behind Dick Ricketts, and Derrick Alston, both of whom played in the NBA, and ahead of Norm Nixon, so he had a very good college career. The coach who replaced Carroll wasn't very good, so the team didn't do much (I think they went to the NIT when Pipkins was a freshman). Guys like Kevin Salvadori get on the list because he went to UNC, but he was taken as a project, and was only a role player there. Even elite programs will take an occasional flyer on a near 7 footer because the payoff can be so great. (See Frank Kaminsky)
 
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