Vader: RJ Davis and Earl Timberlake express major interest in Pitt, both Visiting

[Vader_Storm]

Earl Timberlake

To follow up with what I said in the previous thread, here is Earl Timberlake talking about upcoming visits. He will be visiting Pitt a 3rd time in his own words and a date is getting set up. He talks about how Pitt is a good school for him, and how he talks to Xavier Johnson and Trey Mcgowens daily. I love the fact about his loyalty because the same Top 5 schools he had 8 months ago when I first mentioned him is essentially the same Top 5 schools right now outside North Carolina. This is Timberlake, not me, telling you he is visiting here and confirming high interest in Pitt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwfY-c-4woo


RJ Davis

Here is RJ Davis talking about Pitt and how he talks to Jeff Capel and Tim O'toole every single day. RJ Davis will 100% be taking a visit to Pitt and Pitt is a major contender for RJ Davis. I also love the fact that the interview opened about how every school in the country is recruiting him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwC3TbDL7CQ


Both of these players are pushing for 5 star rankings and have loaded offer sheets from everybody. Capel put a ton of effort into these 2 players and the effort is paying off. Everyone wants these players and as I said, Pitt is on the very short list for both high major talents. I also flat out said both players were underrated 8 months ago and Capel got in very early and recruited both hard. It would not be a surprise if both are at Pitt visiting at the same time.

 

[pittchagg]

Earl Timberlake

To follow up with what I said in the previous thread, here is Earl Timberlake talking about upcoming visits. He will be visiting Pitt a 3rd time in his own words and a date is getting set up. He talks about how Pitt is a good school for him, and how he talks to Xavier Johnson and Trey Mcgowens daily. I love the fact about his loyalty because the same Top 5 schools he had 8 months ago when I first mentioned him is essentially the same Top 5 schools right now outside North Carolina. This is Timberlake, not me, telling you he is visiting here and confirming high interest in Pitt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwfY-c-4woo


RJ Davis

Here is RJ Davis talking about Pitt and how he talks to Jeff Capel and Tim O'toole every single day. RJ Davis will 100% be taking a visit to Pitt and Pitt is a major contender for RJ Davis. I also love the fact that the interview opened about how every school in the country is recruiting him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwC3TbDL7CQ


Both of these players are pushing for 5 star rankings and have loaded offer sheets from everybody. Capel put a ton of effort into these 2 players and the effort is paying off. Everyone wants these players and as I said, Pitt is on the very short list for both high major talents. I also flat out said both players were underrated 8 months ago and Capel got in very early and recruited both hard. It would not be a surprise if both are at Pitt visiting at the same time.

I appreciate your posts and agree re: Davis, but Timberlake has been a top 50 overall recruit in this class for two years now.

Would definitely love to get these two guys on campus again. Glad to see Davis is getting back soon. My guess is that we’re battling Marquette and Georgetown for Davis (he seems like the #2 or #3 point guard target for UNC and Kansas). Timberlake is a tougher cat to get a read on.

 

[Tonyt66]

If Pitt can get these 2 and Huguley that would put them in the top 10 or 15 recruiting class

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Earl Timberlake

To follow up with what I said in the previous thread, here is Earl Timberlake talking about upcoming visits. He will be visiting Pitt a 3rd time in his own words and a date is getting set up. He talks about how Pitt is a good school for him, and how he talks to Xavier Johnson and Trey Mcgowens daily. I love the fact about his loyalty because the same Top 5 schools he had 8 months ago when I first mentioned him is essentially the same Top 5 schools right now outside North Carolina. This is Timberlake, not me, telling you he is visiting here and confirming high interest in Pitt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwfY-c-4woo


RJ Davis

Here is RJ Davis talking about Pitt and how he talks to Jeff Capel and Tim O'toole every single day. RJ Davis will 100% be taking a visit to Pitt and Pitt is a major contender for RJ Davis. I also love the fact that the interview opened about how every school in the country is recruiting him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwC3TbDL7CQ


Both of these players are pushing for 5 star rankings and have loaded offer sheets from everybody. Capel put a ton of effort into these 2 players and the effort is paying off. Everyone wants these players and as I said, Pitt is on the very short list for both high major talents. I also flat out said both players were underrated 8 months ago and Capel got in very early and recruited both hard. It would not be a surprise if both are at Pitt visiting at the same time.

These are the types of battles Jeff capel was hired to be a part of and win. Unfortunately, I live in reality and actual track record at Pitt shows we get neither of these kids

 

[HOF Coach]

These are the types of battles Jeff capel was hired to be a part of and win. Unfortunately, I live in reality and actual track record at Pitt shows we get neither of these kids

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

I appreciate your posts and agree re: Davis, but Timberlake has been a top 50 overall recruit in this class for two years now.

Would definitely love to get these two guys on campus again. Glad to see Davis is getting back soon. My guess is that we’re battling Marquette and Georgetown for Davis (he seems like the #2 or #3 point guard target for UNC and Kansas). Timberlake is a tougher cat to get a read on.

Sorry man. Vader was the only one who knew about Timberlake. Take your facts and take a hike.

 

[rockypanther]

I wish Vader would stop saying in every post when he originally told us about something. Enough with the self congratulations.

And it’s silly anyway, because most of his posted info was already out there or hard to prove or disprove. What we do know is that most of the players he felt we were in such good shape with in 2019 didn’t choose Pitt.

The last I looked RJ was 104th rated rivals prospect at 6ft 160 lbs. How could he possibly move to a 5 star?

 

[CougarClaws]

I wish Vader would stop saying in every post when he originally told us about something. Enough with the self congratulations.

And it’s silly anyway, because most of his posted info was already out there or hard to prove or disprove. What we do know is that most of the players he felt we were in such good shape with in 2019 didn’t choose Pitt.

The last I looked RJ was 104th rated rivals prospect at 6ft 160 lbs. How could he possibly move to a 5 star?

Vader provides a service neither you or anyone else on the Lair provides - excellent recruiting summaries. And they tend to be upbeat as well. I'll gladly pitch in on any recognition he may crave, as I appreciate the content.

Davis is blowing up this summer - Tarheels just offered, and Duke is watching him. Oscar up in Sharon PA went through the same kind of thing last year - 90ish to 30ish in 6 months.

 

[DiehardPanther]

I wish Vader would stop saying in every post when he originally told us about something. Enough with the self congratulations.

And it’s silly anyway, because most of his posted info was already out there or hard to prove or disprove. What we do know is that most of the players he felt we were in such good shape with in 2019 didn’t choose Pitt.

The last I looked RJ was 104th rated rivals prospect at 6ft 160 lbs. How could he possibly move to a 5 star?

Davis has exploded and is going to be a high 4 star.

 

[rockypanther]

Davis has exploded and is going to be a high 4 star.

He has a bunch of guys to jump over to get there. Not sure when the next evaluation period is for re-ranking, do you?

 

[DiehardPanther]

He has a bunch of guys to jump over to get there. Not sure when the next evaluation period is for re-ranking, do you?

Not sure, but he is the #85 National Recruit and UNC, Kansas, and Louisville just offered recently. His rating is only going to improve after his showing this summer.

 

[DT_PITT]

I wish Vader would stop saying in every post when he originally told us about something. Enough with the self congratulations.

And it’s silly anyway, because most of his posted info was already out there or hard to prove or disprove. What we do know is that most of the players he felt we were in such good shape with in 2019 didn’t choose Pitt.

The last I looked RJ was 104th rated rivals prospect at 6ft 160 lbs. How could he possibly move to a 5 star?

While I agree the self congratulations can be a bit tedious at times, my suggestion is just to ignore that part of it. Sure, his write ups have contained plenty of redundant information or pieces that turned out to be less than spurious.

But he presents things in a positive manner with plenty of enthusiasm which isn’t always the norm for message boards. I also like when he goes all out in his posts with the “Vader theme,” although this is not quite what he did this time. When that’s the case, it’s fun to read.

It’s clear to me that this is someone who’s trying to make a name for himself as a recruiting guru, and I’m certainly good with that. His posts sum things up which make them solid message board fodder. Over time, the validity of his prognostications will be what ultimately defines him far above a gimmick or self aggrandizement.

And quite frankly, I’m good with anyone who adds to the Lair with something beyond basic misery.

 

[TWPitt]

And quite frankly, I’m good with anyone who adds to the Lair with something beyond basic misery.

Hell yeah

 

[Fsgolfdr]

JC needs one big time recruit to get the ball rolling . He's got those interpersonal skills that can convince a high quality recruit to come to Pitt . It will happen !

PS ...with all the naysayers giving him crap brag all you want Vader ...keep the info flowing much appreciated.

 

[Vader_Storm]

While I agree the self congratulations can be a bit tedious at times, my suggestion is just to ignore that part of it. Sure, his write ups have contained plenty of redundant information or pieces that turned out to be less than spurious.

But he presents things in a positive manner with plenty of enthusiasm which isn’t always the norm for message boards. I also like when he goes all out in his posts with the “Vader theme” which is not quite what he did this time. That’s kinda fun to read.

It’s clear to me that this is someone who’s trying to make a name for himself as a recruiting guru, and I’m certainly good with that. His posts sum things up which make them a good read. Over time, the validity of his prognostications will be what ultimately defines him far above a gimmick or self aggrandizement.

And quite frankly, I’m good with anyone who adds to the Lair with something beyond basic misery.

Let's clarify a few things.

1) I think I earned the benefit of the doubt in terms of who I pronounced as "underrated". Because none of my former posts are edited after the fact. The only time any of my posts were deleted was because of people fighting in the threads I started and the mods deleting and wiping out the whole thread. I would strongly suggest some people go back and reread some of my posts since there are only 25 posts Ive made in 8 months, starting from day 1 last December and my very first post where I started talking about Karim Coulibaly being underrated. No one else said Coulibaly was underrated that I recall.

In fact, most people seem to be sour on the 2019 recruiting class as a whole. Im not.

Coulibaly's National ranking fell off a cliff from every site as did Champagnie, and I strongly disagree with all those rankings and those people doing the rankings. I like the 2019 class and Coulibaly quite a good bit.

2) Im not trying to make a name for myself. I also do not post about Pitt basketball or about any other topic on any other social media besides this site. Im also not planning on it in the future.

3) I have made some pretty darn bold claims on players that were 3 star nobodies 6,7,8 months ago on the grand scale of things. The same people that were ripping Hugley and Davis etc.... being "lousy" and "not good enough" 8 months ago because of lack of quality P6 offers then are the same people saying Pitt has no chance with them now. AJ Hoggard was another 3 star nobody then. I was on him earlier before anyone. In game 1 in the EYBL when he abused Ethan Mortan in front of 30+ coaches against the NY Rens with RJ Davis, the world found out and Louisville and Michigan State offered Hoggard immediately.

4) I am injecting some positivity into this board and fanbase. Because after the Stallings and Dixon debacle of the last 5 years it is badly needed. And Capel deserves the benefit of the doubt with his first recruiting class with X, Trey, and Toney being a very good class and a severely underrated first class.

5) There is a difference between speculating and guaranteeing. I speculated certain players could reclassify and entertain the idea. None of them did. I never guaranteed any of them would. I don't change what I write. And what's ironic, predictions get changed daily with some of these recruiting guys that work for these sites. They raise and lower player rankings based off offer sheets and agendas to sell subscriptions. I never went back once on who I said was "underrated" or "overrated". Its still there to read.

6) I think some people would be really surprised of who I really am or who I am tied to. But todays not that day.

7) As far the self congratulations.... Well, I would say I am writing it in a style to get peoples attention. Not for my benefit.... Rather, because Pitt basketball is moving VERY well in the right direction in my opinion and some people are so blind and so negative to see it because of the last 5 years pre-Capel or because they really aren't Pitt fans posting here or maybe because they just do not like me. It should be viewed as a way to inject more confidence in our head coach and program, not for "me".

It's also a way to tell people Ive been saying the same things over the course of the last 8 months about the same players.

The only player I have soured on for any player I have covered is Ethan Mortan. He was downright lousy at the EYBL and I cant decide what was worse between his shooting or defense, they were both bad. Maybe he was injured the whole time, but I lost heavy interest in him after he was abused by Hoggard and he got worse as the play continued throughout the EYBL.

 

[HOF Coach]

Let's clarify a few things.

1) I think I earned the benefit of the doubt in terms of who I pronounced as "underrated". Because none of my former posts are edited after the fact. The only time any of my posts were deleted was because of people fighting in the threads I started and the mods deleting and wiping out the whole thread. I would strongly suggest some people go back and reread some of my posts since there are only 25 posts Ive made in 8 months, starting from day 1 last December and my very first post where I started talking about Karim Coulibaly being underrated. No one else said Coulibaly was underrated that I recall.

In fact, most people seem to be sour on the 2019 recruiting class as a whole. Im not.

Coulibaly's National ranking fell off a cliff from every site as did Champagnie, and I strongly disagree with all those rankings and those people doing the rankings. I like the 2019 class and Coulibaly quite a good bit.

2) Im not trying to make a name for myself. I also do not post about Pitt basketball or about any other topic on any other social media besides this site. Im also not planning on it in the future.

3) I have made some pretty darn bold claims on players that were 3 star nobodies 6,7,8 months ago on the grand scale of things. The same people that were ripping Hugley and Davis etc.... being "lousy" and "not good enough" 8 months ago because of lack of quality P6 offers then are the same people saying Pitt has no chance with them now. AJ Hoggard was another 3 star nobody then. I was on him earlier before anyone. In game 1 in the EYBL when he abused Ethan Mortan in front of 30+ coaches against the NY Rens with RJ Davis, the world found out and Louisville and Michigan State offered Hoggard immediately.

4) I am injecting some positivity into this board and fanbase. Because after the Stallings and Dixon debacle of the last 5 years it is badly needed. And Capel deserves the benefit of the doubt with his first recruiting class with X, Trey, and Toney being a very good class and a severely underrated first class.

5) There is a difference between speculating and guaranteeing. I speculated certain players could reclassify and entertain the idea. None of them did. I never guaranteed any of them would. I don't change what I write. And what's ironic, predictions get changed daily with some of these recruiting guys that work for these sites. They raise and lower player rankings based off offer sheets and agendas to sell subscriptions. I never went back once on who I said was "underrated" or "overrated". Its still there to read.

6) I think some people would be really surprised of who I really am or who I am tied to. But todays not that day.

7) As far the self congratulations.... Well, I would say I am writing it in a style to get peoples attention. Not for my benefit.... Rather, because Pitt basketball is moving VERY well in the right direction in my opinion and some people are so blind and so negative to see it because of the last 5 years pre-Capel or because they really aren't Pitt fans posting here or maybe because they just do not like me. It should be viewed as a way to inject more confidence in our head coach and program, not for "me".

It's also a way to tell people Ive been saying the same things over the course of the last 8 months about the same players.

The only player I have soured on for any player I have covered is Ethan Mortan. He was downright lousy at the EYBL and I cant decide what was worse between his shooting or defense, they were both bad. Maybe he was injured the whole time, but I lost heavy interest in him after he was abused by Hoggard and he got worse as the play continued throughout the EYBL.

Understanding that we are talking about teenagers who could change their mind at any moment, as it stands today, who do you predict will sign with Pitt?

I just want to get your opinion of the likelihood of what the 2020 class could look like, not to hold you accountable later. Thanks....

 

[docpanther26]

Vader I too enjoy your insight and share your opinion that coach Capel and Pitt basketball are definitely moving in the right direction.

As I mentioned in a post months ago, I like many was at one time part of Pitt athletics. Then comes time to develop our careers, start families and any other thing that takes us away. I lost interest in Pitt basketball but I can say for certain that the hiring of Coach Capel has me fired up! I’m enjoying this so much again. Not sure many other coaching hires could have made me this excited for the future of our program. Keep them coming, this is a fun time to be a Panther! Hail to Pitt!

 

[CougarClaws]

Let's clarify a few things.

1) I think I earned the benefit of the doubt in terms of who I pronounced as "underrated". Because none of my former posts are edited after the fact. The only time any of my posts were deleted was because of people fighting in the threads I started and the mods deleting and wiping out the whole thread. I would strongly suggest some people go back and reread some of my posts since there are only 25 posts Ive made in 8 months, starting from day 1 last December and my very first post where I started talking about Karim Coulibaly being underrated. No one else said Coulibaly was underrated that I recall.

In fact, most people seem to be sour on the 2019 recruiting class as a whole. Im not.

Coulibaly's National ranking fell off a cliff from every site as did Champagnie, and I strongly disagree with all those rankings and those people doing the rankings. I like the 2019 class and Coulibaly quite a good bit.

2) Im not trying to make a name for myself. I also do not post about Pitt basketball or about any other topic on any other social media besides this site. Im also not planning on it in the future.

3) I have made some pretty darn bold claims on players that were 3 star nobodies 6,7,8 months ago on the grand scale of things. The same people that were ripping Hugley and Davis etc.... being "lousy" and "not good enough" 8 months ago because of lack of quality P6 offers then are the same people saying Pitt has no chance with them now. AJ Hoggard was another 3 star nobody then. I was on him earlier before anyone. In game 1 in the EYBL when he abused Ethan Mortan in front of 30+ coaches against the NY Rens with RJ Davis, the world found out and Louisville and Michigan State offered Hoggard immediately.

4) I am injecting some positivity into this board and fanbase. Because after the Stallings and Dixon debacle of the last 5 years it is badly needed. And Capel deserves the benefit of the doubt with his first recruiting class with X, Trey, and Toney being a very good class and a severely underrated first class.

5) There is a difference between speculating and guaranteeing. I speculated certain players could reclassify and entertain the idea. None of them did. I never guaranteed any of them would. I don't change what I write. And what's ironic, predictions get changed daily with some of these recruiting guys that work for these sites. They raise and lower player rankings based off offer sheets and agendas to sell subscriptions. I never went back once on who I said was "underrated" or "overrated". Its still there to read.

6) I think some people would be really surprised of who I really am or who I am tied to. But todays not that day.

7) As far the self congratulations.... Well, I would say I am writing it in a style to get peoples attention. Not for my benefit.... Rather, because Pitt basketball is moving VERY well in the right direction in my opinion and some people are so blind and so negative to see it because of the last 5 years pre-Capel or because they really aren't Pitt fans posting here or maybe because they just do not like me. It should be viewed as a way to inject more confidence in our head coach and program, not for "me".

It's also a way to tell people Ive been saying the same things over the course of the last 8 months about the same players.

The only player I have soured on for any player I have covered is Ethan Mortan. He was downright lousy at the EYBL and I cant decide what was worse between his shooting or defense, they were both bad. Maybe he was injured the whole time, but I lost heavy interest in him after he was abused by Hoggard and he got worse as the play continued throughout the EYBL.

Enjoyed your response. Well done and keep up the good work.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Let's clarify a few things.

1) I think I earned the benefit of the doubt in terms of who I pronounced as "underrated". Because none of my former posts are edited after the fact. The only time any of my posts were deleted was because of people fighting in the threads I started and the mods deleting and wiping out the whole thread. I would strongly suggest some people go back and reread some of my posts since there are only 25 posts Ive made in 8 months, starting from day 1 last December and my very first post where I started talking about Karim Coulibaly being underrated. No one else said Coulibaly was underrated that I recall.

In fact, most people seem to be sour on the 2019 recruiting class as a whole. Im not.

Coulibaly's National ranking fell off a cliff from every site as did Champagnie, and I strongly disagree with all those rankings and those people doing the rankings. I like the 2019 class and Coulibaly quite a good bit.

2) Im not trying to make a name for myself. I also do not post about Pitt basketball or about any other topic on any other social media besides this site. Im also not planning on it in the future.

3) I have made some pretty darn bold claims on players that were 3 star nobodies 6,7,8 months ago on the grand scale of things. The same people that were ripping Hugley and Davis etc.... being "lousy" and "not good enough" 8 months ago because of lack of quality P6 offers then are the same people saying Pitt has no chance with them now. AJ Hoggard was another 3 star nobody then. I was on him earlier before anyone. In game 1 in the EYBL when he abused Ethan Mortan in front of 30+ coaches against the NY Rens with RJ Davis, the world found out and Louisville and Michigan State offered Hoggard immediately.

4) I am injecting some positivity into this board and fanbase. Because after the Stallings and Dixon debacle of the last 5 years it is badly needed. And Capel deserves the benefit of the doubt with his first recruiting class with X, Trey, and Toney being a very good class and a severely underrated first class.

5) There is a difference between speculating and guaranteeing. I speculated certain players could reclassify and entertain the idea. None of them did. I never guaranteed any of them would. I don't change what I write. And what's ironic, predictions get changed daily with some of these recruiting guys that work for these sites. They raise and lower player rankings based off offer sheets and agendas to sell subscriptions. I never went back once on who I said was "underrated" or "overrated". Its still there to read.

6) I think some people would be really surprised of who I really am or who I am tied to. But todays not that day.

7) As far the self congratulations.... Well, I would say I am writing it in a style to get peoples attention. Not for my benefit.... Rather, because Pitt basketball is moving VERY well in the right direction in my opinion and some people are so blind and so negative to see it because of the last 5 years pre-Capel or because they really aren't Pitt fans posting here or maybe because they just do not like me. It should be viewed as a way to inject more confidence in our head coach and program, not for "me".

It's also a way to tell people Ive been saying the same things over the course of the last 8 months about the same players.

The only player I have soured on for any player I have covered is Ethan Mortan. He was downright lousy at the EYBL and I cant decide what was worse between his shooting or defense, they were both bad. Maybe he was injured the whole time, but I lost heavy interest in him after he was abused by Hoggard and he got worse as the play continued throughout the EYBL.

Well, they don’t have a shot at Hoggard. And Morton was the most important recruit since Big Fella and they didn’t even really recruit him. He’s not built for AAU. He’s built for actual basketball.

 

[Tonyt66]

You just can't get some people off that hateration drink!!!! SMDH

 

[Elsalvador]

Besides RJ Davis, I think we'll start hearing a # of prospects setting up visits very soon. August and the months during the Fall/Football/Basketball season. Hopefully a few commits by November should be the goal. Let's hope other schools fill up certain spots too!

 

[HailToPitt1985]

It's great to hear some positive recruiting talk. But that's all it is right now....talk. I'm going to withhold judgement until I see what results we get on the court in the next few years. Capel had to overcome the awful circumstances he was handed from Stallings and Barnes. That in itself will take a few years to start recovery. Maybe the year after this coming year we'll start to see a jump toward our previous standing in the college basketball landscape. This year, we might see a few steps forward. My expectation for 2019-20 is just a winning season and 5 or 6 ACC wins while staying competitive.

 

[4Mark_Marty]

Let's clarify a few things.

1) I think I earned the benefit of the doubt in terms of who I pronounced as "underrated". Because none of my former posts are edited after the fact. The only time any of my posts were deleted was because of people fighting in the threads I started and the mods deleting and wiping out the whole thread. I would strongly suggest some people go back and reread some of my posts since there are only 25 posts Ive made in 8 months, starting from day 1 last December and my very first post where I started talking about Karim Coulibaly being underrated. No one else said Coulibaly was underrated that I recall.

In fact, most people seem to be sour on the 2019 recruiting class as a whole. Im not.

Coulibaly's National ranking fell off a cliff from every site as did Champagnie, and I strongly disagree with all those rankings and those people doing the rankings. I like the 2019 class and Coulibaly quite a good bit.

2) Im not trying to make a name for myself. I also do not post about Pitt basketball or about any other topic on any other social media besides this site. Im also not planning on it in the future.

3) I have made some pretty darn bold claims on players that were 3 star nobodies 6,7,8 months ago on the grand scale of things. The same people that were ripping Hugley and Davis etc.... being "lousy" and "not good enough" 8 months ago because of lack of quality P6 offers then are the same people saying Pitt has no chance with them now. AJ Hoggard was another 3 star nobody then. I was on him earlier before anyone. In game 1 in the EYBL when he abused Ethan Mortan in front of 30+ coaches against the NY Rens with RJ Davis, the world found out and Louisville and Michigan State offered Hoggard immediately.

4) I am injecting some positivity into this board and fanbase. Because after the Stallings and Dixon debacle of the last 5 years it is badly needed. And Capel deserves the benefit of the doubt with his first recruiting class with X, Trey, and Toney being a very good class and a severely underrated first class.

5) There is a difference between speculating and guaranteeing. I speculated certain players could reclassify and entertain the idea. None of them did. I never guaranteed any of them would. I don't change what I write. And what's ironic, predictions get changed daily with some of these recruiting guys that work for these sites. They raise and lower player rankings based off offer sheets and agendas to sell subscriptions. I never went back once on who I said was "underrated" or "overrated". Its still there to read.

6) I think some people would be really surprised of who I really am or who I am tied to. But todays not that day.

7) As far the self congratulations.... Well, I would say I am writing it in a style to get peoples attention. Not for my benefit.... Rather, because Pitt basketball is moving VERY well in the right direction in my opinion and some people are so blind and so negative to see it because of the last 5 years pre-Capel or because they really aren't Pitt fans posting here or maybe because they just do not like me. It should be viewed as a way to inject more confidence in our head coach and program, not for "me".

It's also a way to tell people Ive been saying the same things over the course of the last 8 months about the same players.

The only player I have soured on for any player I have covered is Ethan Mortan. He was downright lousy at the EYBL and I cant decide what was worse between his shooting or defense, they were both bad. Maybe he was injured the whole time, but I lost heavy interest in him after he was abused by Hoggard and he got worse as the play continued throughout the EYBL.

In regards to Ethan Morton, I agree wholeheartedly with you on your assessment. He has the ball handling, vision, mental and passing skills needed to play at the P6 level, however his athleticism, physical strength and shooting abilities are at or below mid-major level.

Is he the next Yuri Demitris? I don’t think so, but he’s definitely not a TJ McConnell either. I think he may have peaked early, unless he becomes a lights out shooter. As a freshman he looked to be in his early 20s. He has to be in the right system with A LOT of talent around him, which may well happen.

Just an observation.

 

[PittMan 72]

Let's clarify a few things.

1) I think I earned the benefit of the doubt in terms of who I pronounced as "underrated". Because none of my former posts are edited after the fact. The only time any of my posts were deleted was because of people fighting in the threads I started and the mods deleting and wiping out the whole thread. I would strongly suggest some people go back and reread some of my posts since there are only 25 posts Ive made in 8 months, starting from day 1 last December and my very first post where I started talking about Karim Coulibaly being underrated. No one else said Coulibaly was underrated that I recall.

In fact, most people seem to be sour on the 2019 recruiting class as a whole. Im not.

Coulibaly's National ranking fell off a cliff from every site as did Champagnie, and I strongly disagree with all those rankings and those people doing the rankings. I like the 2019 class and Coulibaly quite a good bit.

2) Im not trying to make a name for myself. I also do not post about Pitt basketball or about any other topic on any other social media besides this site. Im also not planning on it in the future.

3) I have made some pretty darn bold claims on players that were 3 star nobodies 6,7,8 months ago on the grand scale of things. The same people that were ripping Hugley and Davis etc.... being "lousy" and "not good enough" 8 months ago because of lack of quality P6 offers then are the same people saying Pitt has no chance with them now. AJ Hoggard was another 3 star nobody then. I was on him earlier before anyone. In game 1 in the EYBL when he abused Ethan Mortan in front of 30+ coaches against the NY Rens with RJ Davis, the world found out and Louisville and Michigan State offered Hoggard immediately.

4) I am injecting some positivity into this board and fanbase. Because after the Stallings and Dixon debacle of the last 5 years it is badly needed. And Capel deserves the benefit of the doubt with his first recruiting class with X, Trey, and Toney being a very good class and a severely underrated first class.

5) There is a difference between speculating and guaranteeing. I speculated certain players could reclassify and entertain the idea. None of them did. I never guaranteed any of them would. I don't change what I write. And what's ironic, predictions get changed daily with some of these recruiting guys that work for these sites. They raise and lower player rankings based off offer sheets and agendas to sell subscriptions. I never went back once on who I said was "underrated" or "overrated". Its still there to read.

6) I think some people would be really surprised of who I really am or who I am tied to. But todays not that day.

7) As far the self congratulations.... Well, I would say I am writing it in a style to get peoples attention. Not for my benefit.... Rather, because Pitt basketball is moving VERY well in the right direction in my opinion and some people are so blind and so negative to see it because of the last 5 years pre-Capel or because they really aren't Pitt fans posting here or maybe because they just do not like me. It should be viewed as a way to inject more confidence in our head coach and program, not for "me".

It's also a way to tell people Ive been saying the same things over the course of the last 8 months about the same players.

The only player I have soured on for any player I have covered is Ethan Mortan. He was downright lousy at the EYBL and I cant decide what was worse between his shooting or defense, they were both bad. Maybe he was injured the whole time, but I lost heavy interest in him after he was abused by Hoggard and he got worse as the play continued throughout the EYBL.

Good stuff. Keep it coming. Don't worry about the critics. People can choose to do with what you have to say as they see fit. It's purely a personal choice.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

In regards to Ethan Morton, I agree wholeheartedly with you on your assessment. He has the ball handling, vision, mental and passing skills needed to play at the P6 level, however his athleticism, physical strength and shooting abilities are at or below mid-major level.

Is he the next Yuri Demitris? I don’t think so, but he’s definitely not a TJ McConnell either. I think he may have peaked early, unless he becomes a lights out shooter. As a freshman he looked to be in his early 20s. He has to be in the right system with A LOT of talent around him, which may well happen.

Just an observation.

A team that just went to the elite 8 with an NBA PG thinks he’s good enough.

Let’s call it what it is, sour grapes. Pitt lost out on a great local player because they didn’t recruit him. If they end with RJ Davis, all will be forgiven. But it doesn’t seem like they’re in on any other great PGs

 

[DiehardPanther]

A team that just went to the elite 8 with an NBA PG thinks he’s good enough.

Let’s call it what it is, sour grapes. Pitt lost out on a great local player because they didn’t recruit him. If they end with RJ Davis, all will be forgiven. But it doesn’t seem like they’re in on any other great PGs

What do you mean they didn’t recruit him?

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

It will definitely be interesting to see how Morton and Carmody progress this year.

 

[Franb]

What do you mean they didn’t recruit him?

Since Pitt offered him a scholarship, it seems reasonable to assume that the staff did, in fact, recruit him.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Since Pitt offered him a scholarship, it seems reasonable to assume that the staff did, in fact, recruit him.

Not how he felt. People offer scholarships all the time and never talk to the kid. That is, in fact, not recruiting them.

 

[DiehardPanther]

Not how he felt. People offer scholarships all the time and never talk to the kid. That is, in fact, not recruiting them.

Did Capel show up to watch him play in HS for no reason?

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Did Capel show up to watch him play in HS for no reason?

The game where he played top 10 recruit Will Jeffres? Yes.

I’m telling you how he felt from what I heard. Therefore he didn’t get pursued as hard by Pitt as Purdue or others because they weren’t even in his top 3.

And he was a kid who was considering Pitt under Kevin Effing Stallings. So you do the math

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Cmon this isn’t that difficult. What insider is saying whether it’s true or not is that Pitt didn’t go after him hard enough. At least in the kids eyes. I’m sure they offered. I would assume they kept in touch. But there’s levels. Insider is pretty clearly saying they didn’t put a lot of effort into it. If your staff isn’t doing it another is and probably many more are. From hundreds of letters to who knows what to straight up ass kissing. He’s saying it wasn’t any of that. Whether that’s the case I have no clue.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Cmon this isn’t that difficult. What insider is saying whether it’s true or not is that Pitt didn’t go after him hard enough. At least in the kids eyes. I’m sure they offered. I would assume they kept in touch. But there’s levels. Insider is pretty clearly saying they didn’t put a lot of effort into it. If your staff isn’t doing it another is and probably many more are. From hundreds of letters to who knows what to straight up ass kissing. He’s saying it wasn’t any of that. Whether that’s the case I have no clue.

This. And obviously I ain’t the kid or related or anything. I’m hearing this basically from someone who is close to the dad.

 

[PHEONIX4]

The game where he played top 10 recruit Will Jeffres? Yes.

I’m telling you how he felt from what I heard. Therefore he didn’t get pursued as hard by Pitt as Purdue or others because they weren’t even in his top 3.

And he was a kid who was considering Pitt under Kevin Effing Stallings. So you do the math

Enough of your BS. He was never coming to Pitt even if Capel kissed his behind. I do know Capel recruited him. Morton was not interested in Pitt.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Enough of your BS. He was never coming to Pitt even if Capel kissed his behind. I do know Capel recruited him. Morton was not interested in Pitt.

Lol sure. Is this gonna be the excuse if/when they brick on Johnson/Gordon too?

 

[rockypanther]

Enough of your BS. He was never coming to Pitt even if Capel kissed his behind. I do know Capel recruited him. Morton was not interested in Pitt.

This is weak. Capel has gone after a lot of guys that we had a much less chance of getting than Morton. I have never seen him play and I think he was probably going to Big 10 anyway.

But stop making excuses for our coaching staff and missing on recruits so far. We have missed a bunch and it’s a problem not because of Capel but because he has no help. That’s from ppl very close to our Pitt program.

Let’s hope that our coaching staff can land Davis and Hughley both.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

No help? Does that mean no bagmen?

 

[rockypanther]

[

No help? Does that mean no bagmen?

The words were our assistants do not have and have not built connections with AAU and Summer Circuit coaches, representatives, and writers and reporters. You can see that in every tweet where a reporter writes an article about a prospect we are on and no mention of Pitt. It’s also been described not as just a lack of interest or inexperience or more time needed to build these relationships. Our assistants just don’t understand how to connect and work within the way these prospects are now recruited. They have never done it since AAU and Summer Circuits and shoe sponsors changed the whole way recruiting is done.

You also have a major issue with top 100 level recruits with Pitt. Nike, Addidas, and Under Armour funnel money through AAU coaches and programs to these players and it’s impossible to track. These show companies want these kids to go to programs where they will get a lot of positive exposures which is advertising for their company. Pitt can’t offer that. And we also have no track record of putting any player in the NBA that a shoe company could sign a deal with to make more money. So it’s not the colleges using bagmen it’s the companies the colleges have contracts with doing all the dirty work. That’s why coaches like Sean Miller are still coaching and still bringing in top recruits.

 

[docpanther26]

Okay maybe facts, but why don’t you just wait to see how the next couple seasons play out before you keep running your mouth about how worthless he is...

Aside from coaching, Capel started a senior last year, put him on the court as a gesture to all his hard work. He didn’t have to do that but it shows what a quality man he is. Let’s support him, he is here for a reason.

 

[DT_PITT]

Let's clarify a few things.

1) I think I earned the benefit of the doubt in terms of who I pronounced as "underrated". Because none of my former posts are edited after the fact. The only time any of my posts were deleted was because of people fighting in the threads I started and the mods deleting and wiping out the whole thread. I would strongly suggest some people go back and reread some of my posts since there are only 25 posts Ive made in 8 months, starting from day 1 last December and my very first post where I started talking about Karim Coulibaly being underrated. No one else said Coulibaly was underrated that I recall.

In fact, most people seem to be sour on the 2019 recruiting class as a whole. Im not.

Coulibaly's National ranking fell off a cliff from every site as did Champagnie, and I strongly disagree with all those rankings and those people doing the rankings. I like the 2019 class and Coulibaly quite a good bit.

2) Im not trying to make a name for myself. I also do not post about Pitt basketball or about any other topic on any other social media besides this site. Im also not planning on it in the future.

3) I have made some pretty darn bold claims on players that were 3 star nobodies 6,7,8 months ago on the grand scale of things. The same people that were ripping Hugley and Davis etc.... being "lousy" and "not good enough" 8 months ago because of lack of quality P6 offers then are the same people saying Pitt has no chance with them now. AJ Hoggard was another 3 star nobody then. I was on him earlier before anyone. In game 1 in the EYBL when he abused Ethan Mortan in front of 30+ coaches against the NY Rens with RJ Davis, the world found out and Louisville and Michigan State offered Hoggard immediately.

4) I am injecting some positivity into this board and fanbase. Because after the Stallings and Dixon debacle of the last 5 years it is badly needed. And Capel deserves the benefit of the doubt with his first recruiting class with X, Trey, and Toney being a very good class and a severely underrated first class.

5) There is a difference between speculating and guaranteeing. I speculated certain players could reclassify and entertain the idea. None of them did. I never guaranteed any of them would. I don't change what I write. And what's ironic, predictions get changed daily with some of these recruiting guys that work for these sites. They raise and lower player rankings based off offer sheets and agendas to sell subscriptions. I never went back once on who I said was "underrated" or "overrated". Its still there to read.

6) I think some people would be really surprised of who I really am or who I am tied to. But todays not that day.

7) As far the self congratulations.... Well, I would say I am writing it in a style to get peoples attention. Not for my benefit.... Rather, because Pitt basketball is moving VERY well in the right direction in my opinion and some people are so blind and so negative to see it because of the last 5 years pre-Capel or because they really aren't Pitt fans posting here or maybe because they just do not like me. It should be viewed as a way to inject more confidence in our head coach and program, not for "me".

It's also a way to tell people Ive been saying the same things over the course of the last 8 months about the same players.

The only player I have soured on for any player I have covered is Ethan Mortan. He was downright lousy at the EYBL and I cant decide what was worse between his shooting or defense, they were both bad. Maybe he was injured the whole time, but I lost heavy interest in him after he was abused by Hoggard and he got worse as the play continued throughout the EYBL.

Not quite sure why you replied to me since I offered what I believe was a fair and objective post, basically in your defense.

Regardless, I'll stay away from most of the rest of your reply, much of which follows your usual course of dialouge, and instead offer my general agreement of your point #4. In fact, if you read what I read originally posted in this thread, you'd in fact notice such. I'm still a big believer in Capel as well, and what he pulled off in his first six weeks as head coach has bought him plenty of respect in my mind, far above a simple benefit of the doubt.

Still, I sure hope we can get back to the point of what you called a "debacle" in the last three years of Dixon when our Panthers made two NCAA's tournaments and an NIT. We are still quite a way from once again being at such an "unacceptable" level.

Nevertheless, please keep posting because I know I will continue to read.