2019 Wings

[ProfessorOwl]

I can't be the only one worried about our wing situation in 2019. We are going to lose a ton of wing minutes after next year with Kenny and Cam graduating and Nassir going pro. Chances are those are our top 3 players at the 2-3. We would have a variety of good backups still on the squad (Andrew, Brandon, Rechon), but no elite wing difference makers.

What offers do we have out for wings? Just Wendell Moore? Because it is looking more and more like Moore is going to Duke. They have gotten a flurry of crystal balls for him following in-homes on the 16th and 18th.

Who else is on the radar? Because we are going to need an instant impact player.

 

[gthreadgill7929]

I would love to see Jalen Lecque get an offer but I doubt it. We’re 50 50 rn in CB tied w Oregon. I believe he’s a PG but that could then move Coby to 2 and B Rob at 3. Lecque IMO would be a much better option at PG than Seventh. I still think Woods will be a Nate Britt type player for us this year and next year.

 

[RP12]

I would love to see Jalen Lecque get an offer but I doubt it. We’re 50 50 rn in CB tied w Oregon. I believe he’s a PG but that could then move Coby to 2 and B Rob at 3. Lecque IMO would be a much better option at PG than Seventh. I still think Woods will be a Nate Britt type player for us this year and next year.

Already have a PG for '19 in Francis but Lecque would fill more of a combo role I suppose similar to Coby

 

[ProfessorOwl]

Last I heard Lecque was considering reclassifying to 2018.

 

[DSouthr]

By then I think Leaky Black fills the wing role well, I also strongly believe we get a top shelf wing from 2019.

 

[pln2013]

I think Wilson will be our best option. He could step in for Nas. Not the same level of talent, but I think he's a bit more polished.

I'd also happily take Moore in addition to Wilson (though I don't think that's likely).

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I think Wilson will be our best option. He could step in for Nas. Not the same level of talent, but I think he's a bit more polished.

I'd also happily take Moore in addition to Wilson (though I don't think that's likely).

Who is Wilson?

 

[RP12]

Last I heard Lecque was considering reclassifying to 2018.

Any chance that is the missing piece we're all trying to figure out or does this eliminate us if it happens?

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I just watched a clip of Scottie Lewis. If they scrap the OAD he probably doesn't play in college. Otherwise he looks like he'd be great to get.

 

[FranktheHeel]

I can't be the only one worried about our wing situation in 2019. We are going to lose a ton of wing minutes after next year with Kenny and Cam graduating and Nassir going pro. Chances are those are our top 3 players at the 2-3. We would have a variety of good backups still on the squad (Andrew, Brandon, Rechon), but no elite wing difference makers.

What offers do we have out for wings? Just Wendell Moore? Because it is looking more and more like Moore is going to Duke. They have gotten a flurry of crystal balls for him following in-homes on the 16th and 18th.

Who else is on the radar? Because we are going to need an instant impact player.

It looks like Jalen Wilson from Texas is a wing target on our radar and one that seems to have mutual interest from both sides. Roy did a in-home visit with him at the end of March and it seems that his family really likes where Coach is coming from. Wilson is a versatile wing who will be able to guard multiple positions and seems to take a strong pride in his play on the defensive end. Jalen seems to have a good feel for the game. He plays unselfish and under control, has good court awareness and vision in the open court. He also has a good stroke and moves well without the ball, there’s a lot to like about his game.

The family has built a relationship with Coach Rob (who is the lead recruiter here) and Coach Rob actually recruited his dad when he was at Tulsa. I think I mentioned it another time, but he actually is friendly with Jeremiah Francis too. Another tidbit is his mom liked UNC growing up. I expect Roy to evaluate him again this weekend at the Adidas Gauntlet.

Here is a recent clip of him

 

[Coach325]

I just watched a clip of Scottie Lewis. If they scrap the OAD he probably doesn't play in college. Otherwise he looks like he'd be great to get.

Florida & UK are the favorites for Lewis right now.

 

[RoseHeel]

Last time I pointed out that we told two top 30 Wings to take a hike in favor of a Dook fanboy who is ranked lower than at least one of these guys on all of the rankings, I was told I was being negative. So I'm just going to assume we get him in the end anyway. Roy knows what's going on behind the scenes so clearly all is good here

 

[ProfessorOwl]

Last time I pointed out that we told two top 30 Wings to take a hike in favor of a Dook fanboy who is ranked lower than at least one of these guys on all of the rankings, I was told I was being negative. So I'm just going to assume we get him in the end anyway. Roy knows what's going on behind the scenes so clearly all is good here

Neither Baker nor Gaffney are wings. I understand why we passed on both of them. Also, given Joey's comments about Jalek, the kid seems like d r a m a.

It's just interesting that SF is the position we most obviously need in 2019, and we still only have 1 offer out.

Have we ever showed any interest in Christian Brown? Usually we hit the South Carolina kids hard.

 

[RoseHeel]

Neither Baker nor Gaffney are wings. I understand why we passed on both of them. Also, given Joey's comments about Jalek, the kid seems like d r a m a.

It's just interesting that SF is the position we most obviously need in 2019, and we still only have 1 offer out.

Have we ever showed any interest in Christian Brown? Usually we hit the South Carolina kids hard.

I swear every time Gaffney and Baker are brought up their positions change according to the person. Both these guys were originally SFs and have only recently been getting put as PFs.

But the point is we need a wing. Moore continues to be a flake and Hurt's recruitment has gone mainstream. Our results with those types of guys speak for themselves. Nickelberry's has gone all but silent on our end. Don't even know if we even still want him, though I can't imagine why we wouldn't.

We had some early interest in Christian Brown and his teammate Juwan Gary, but it never went anywhere. Looks like they're headed to Georgia and UsC respectively.

At this point, I think our best chance is Wilson. And if we continue to sit on our hands until summer, I fear we'll lose out on him too. JM2C.

 

[ProfessorOwl]

Nickelberry's has gone all but silent on our end. Don't even know if we even still want him, though I can't imagine why we wouldn't.

Something definitely happened there. He left oak hill and UNC stopped recruiting him. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go to NC State or Louisville. Guess he's not worried about probation lol

I definitely agree that we need to offer Wilson sooner rather than later. Michigan is all over him now.

 

[pln2013]

As long as the biggest dogs (Duke, UK, Kansas) don't attack the Wilson recruitment, I feel good about our chances with him.

 

[heels05champs]

We shouldn’t wait another second to offer Wilson. The Dook fanboy is gonna leave Roy in the cold. I’d like to see Roy gain some leverage by putting out 2 or 3 more wing offers and not let Moore dictate things.

 

[gunslingerdick]

Moore to UNC.

 

[FlaTarHeel]

Neither Baker nor Gaffney are wings. I understand why we passed on both of them. Also, given Joey's comments about Jalek, the kid seems like d r a m a.

Have we ever showed any interest in Christian Brown? Usually we hit the South Carolina kids hard.

1. RW was smart to NOT offer Baker. Alot smarter than these wanna-be recruiting gurus.

2. I like Brown also, and hoped we would continue to pursue him.

 

[mikeirbyusa]

Where's my popcorn...........
.

 

[ProfessorOwl]

Jalen Wilson scored 26 in one game and 33 in another in front of Roy and Coach Rob today. Video below. Seems like a very skilled player.

 

[ProfessorOwl]

Bump. Another local wing goes down. Christian Brown has released his top 7, we aren't in it. Not particularly surprising considering the staff clearly wasn't interested.

Still just two offers out for 2019, Moore and Brooks. Both look like longshots to me.

 

[Archer2]

Leaky is our next really good SF, in the Theo mode, a point forward.

 

[FlaTarHeel]

Leaky is our next really good SF, in the Theo mode, a point forward.

With better long distance shooting ability.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

With better long distance shooting ability.

I hope he shows some fire. Could be good, from what I've seen, but doesn't seem to have a very strong motor. Then again, all I've seen is a few video clips.

 

[Archer2]

Roy has a way of lighting a fire under guys and getting them fired up. I’m not worried about that.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Roy has a way of lighting a fire under guys and getting them fired up. I’m not worried about that.

I hope you are right. At the moment we have several guys whose motor is suspect. In addition to Leaky, we have Seventh and Huff. All could be excellent players for us, I think, but they need to want it and work for it.

 

[Archer2]

I don’t think Seventh’s motor is the issue as much as injuries, lack of available PT, and an uncertainty as to his role. He now knows Joel is gone and the PG spot is up for grabs. If that doesn’t motivate you, nothing will.

I believe we will see a revitalized Seventh this summer. If he gets his confidence going, watch out.

 

[TPFKAPFS]

Huff's motor was recently questioned in work-outs, but he sure seemed to go 1000% in games when I saw him. Sometimes his problem was trying to go so hard/fast he got silly fouls or left the ball behind. I also question how you get the huge chiseled body he sports without some serious work. He is an odd duck, but I think he will come around.

I have not heard anyone question 7th's motor.

 

[ProfessorOwl]

So, here we are are 6 months later.

Wings off the table that UNC had some interest in:
Josh Green (offer)
Wendell Moore (offer)
Jalen Wilson (no offer)
Greg Gantt (no offer)
Juwan Gary (no offer)

Wings left that UNC has had some interest in:
Precious Achiuwa (no offer)
Keion Brooks (offer)
Christian Brown (no offer)

I doubt we are getting any of those guys.

Are we not going to recruit a wing this class? Are we going to hit Boogie Ellis hard and hope that BRob/Rechon and be effective defensive wings? Are we going to recruit a lower ranked guy that none of us have heard of?

What do you guys think?

 

[headenheel]

Maybe Nas pulls a Barnes and stays another year? Cole, Coby, Nas... how ridiculous would that be??

 

[dadika13]

Are we not going to recruit a wing this class? Are we going to hit Boogie Ellis hard and hope that BRob/Rechon and be effective defensive wings?

Are you inferring that Boogie can't play defense? How do you know that, no one has seen him play.

 

[ProfessorOwl]

Are you inferring that Boogie can't play defense? How do you know that, no one has seen him play.

No, I'm saying that BRob/Rechon would mostly play defense and wouldn't be expected to shoulder a lot of the scoring load.

 

[dadika13]

I'm pretty sure Rechon is starting at the 3 in 2019-2020 and we're going to be very happy about it.

 

[Ozheelfan]

I'm pretty sure Rechon is starting at the 3 in 2019-2020 and we're going to be very happy about it.

Agree.... and by that time I reckon BRob will have rounded out into a very serviceable senior back-up.

Of course, don't get me wrong... if an elite 5* wing were to pop for the Heels I too would be ecstatic but PG is of greater need and here's hoping Bacot is able to help snag Cole.

 

[RoseHeel]

I'm pretty sure Rechon is starting at the 3 in 2019-2020 and we're going to be very happy about it.

This. The only thing that concerns me is the lack of depth for the position, which could easily be remedied in the transfer market if necessary.

Just let Roy focus on Cole and JRE.

 

[ProfessorOwl]

I guess im not too comfortable penciling in a guy who we haven't even seen play yet as the starter.

If we don't get anymore recruits (very possible), our 2019 backcourt could be Seventh/BRob/Rechon. With Jeremiah/Andrew/Shea as the backups. That's disaster.

 

[FranktheHeel]

So, here we are are 6 months later.

Wings off the table that UNC had some interest in:
Josh Green (offer)
Wendell Moore (offer)
Jalen Wilson (no offer)
Greg Gantt (no offer)
Juwan Gary (no offer)

Wings left that UNC has had some interest in:
Precious Achiuwa (no offer)
Keion Brooks (offer)
Christian Brown (no offer)

I doubt we are getting any of those guys.

Are we not going to recruit a wing this class? Are we going to hit Boogie Ellis hard and hope that BRob/Rechon and be effective defensive wings? Are we going to recruit a lower ranked guy that none of us have heard of?

What do you guys think?

Honestly, I think that if we have a Cole Anthony and Coby White (even Boogie Ellis too) backcourt, having Rechon at the 3 and being a point forward actually would be beneficial to us offensively as those two would hold most of the scoring load offensively and having someone like Rechon who has point guard instincts and being another player who is a very willing and capable facilitator would be nice to have.

Yes, it would be great to have a pure scorer out on the wing, but with that offensive firepower at the 1 and 2 and improving bigs in the post Leaky can actually be a great fit for that team. I would also say that as a Sophomore and having a year under his belt at the college level, he will be comfortable to step into a role like that where he isn’t expected to carry a heavy scoring burden, but to do things that he is good at like getting others involved, playing team basketball and helping to keep the offense flowing as he is someone who can also handle the ball and move it effectively.

 

[gauchoheel]

This post doesn't... look great for us in hindsight. Good (if unfortunate) call Professor Owl. My take:

- Was Baker just the character questions or did Roy really not like his game?
- Not much we can do about Green, Moore, and Wilson. We tried.
- Achiuwa I believe there's a character issue? I read that on a UNC forum somewhere, must be true.
- Gantt and Gary I'd bet Roy thought we could do better. They all committed early enough that it meant we'd potentially be turning down someone like Green, Moore, or Anthony.
- Brown I think is probably the same case as the previous two. Maybe we could reach out? That assumes there's interest both ways and no other red flags.

The mysteries are Gaffney and potentially Baker. IIRC Owl didn't like Gaffney because he has OAD potential but isn't really ready to be a contributor yet. If that is the case, all it takes is Roy not liking something about Baker and it all makes sense. Still have Brooks as a potential option of course.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I guess im not too comfortable penciling in a guy who we haven't even seen play yet as the starter.

If we don't get anymore recruits (very possible), our 2019 backcourt could be Seventh/BRob/Rechon. With Jeremiah/Andrew/Shea as the backups. That's disaster.

I share your concern, but I think it's too early to be saying "disaster."

We'll have a much better sense on several of those guys in December. Or sooner.

BRob is already good enough to start for a lot of teams, imo. I'm pretty confident that if we gave him starter minutes, he'd show that he could start for us this year. And he should be even better next year.

We'll see pretty quickly if Seventh is good enough. He has 2 years of learning under his belt - if not a lot of PT to show for it - and is reportedly healthy for the first time. Even if Coby beats him out for PG - as many expect - we may see that Seventh is plenty good.

I worry about Leaky's motor and strength. But, again, we'll know much better in December whether those will be a problem. And even if they are for this year, they may not be as a soph. If he plays either PG (doubtful) or point forward (good chance) the motor problem may disappear. In his HS clips he doesn't look like he has a motor problem when he has the ball in his hands.

I don't know if Shea will ever be more than a light-minutes backup, but it is pretty clear that he has improved. I wouldn't be surprised to see him assume a Justin Watts kind of role if we need him to. Not a star, but a valuable fill-in.

Andrew is intriguing. Some expect a lot from him. He played a steady if somewhat cautious game as a frosh. If experience lets him play with more speed and if we see good shooting from deep, who knows how good he'll be? Being a decent starter as a junior is not off the table.

The concern is that none of those guys is likely to be a star. And yet, one or more of them could fool us. But if they aren't stars, we're going to need a couple of stars.