slcoach;1436807 wrote:Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are saying, but Mayo and Patterson went to Huntington High, not Huntington Prep.

Same coaching staff that coached those guys (and a few others prior to PP and Mayo) who then went to HP. Not just the HC, but everyone I believe. They are the reason these kids are going there. I don't think the allure of the great city of Huntington, WV is the reasoning, haha.

5* Theo Pinson will announce his intentions on Wednesday at 12:15.

5 finalists are Duke, UNC, GTown, Indiana and LVille. He has only had an official to IU, but I think has made unofficials to most if not all.

IU insiders are pointing towards an IU/Duke battle because they have been his leaders for quite some time and the decision to announce has been pushed up pretty quick to Wednesday.

I have pretty good feelings about this one. Rec, any knowledge you can gather from the Duke camp?

The word on the Carolina boards is that Pinson is most likely headed to Bloomington. Obviously everyone there despises Duke, but the consensus legitimately seems to be that it's IU.

ironman02;1444924 wrote:The word on the Carolina boards is that Pinson is most likely headed to Bloomington. Obviously everyone there despises Duke, but the consensus legitimately seems to be that it's IU.

Pretty excited. IU will be in contention for the #1 class if they do get Pinson. James Blackmon Jr, as it stands, is the most underrated player in the country imo. I think he is easily top 20, where he was before the knee injury.

This will also give IU a TON of time to focus all their efforts on Dante Exum. Since his recruitment figures to go on for another year(ish) that will be helpful. They will have both ships that are available already used up and can really focus in on who they want. I think they will go for Exum and Goodluck Okban(whatever it is)yeo. The fallbacks will be Trevion Bluiette and Jaquan Lyle. Might end up being a first come first serve in that regard.

It may come down to Exum for UK and IU battling it out for the top class. Now obviously is Jones and Okafor play together, whoever gets them is also up for debate.

However, I think Karl Towns, Dante Exum, Cliff Alexander will move up in the rankings and Emmanuel Mudiay will end up the #1 overall player. I'm not sure it will matter, it's hard to say who is the overall best player.

Azubuike24;1445011 wrote:It may come down to Exum for UK and IU battling it out for the top class. Now obviously is Jones and Okafor play together, whoever gets them is also up for debate.

However, I think Karl Towns, Dante Exum, Cliff Alexander will move up in the rankings and Emmanuel Mudiay will end up the #1 overall player. I'm not sure it will matter, it's hard to say who is the overall best player.

Yeah, lots to be played out. I was just speculating of the chance with IU having, imo, two 5*s already and being heavily involved with 2 others and then 2 others in the top 50.

All the chatter down here in Carolina is that Pinson is all Indiana. I still wouldn't be surprised if he went the Duke route though.

Tiger2003;1445047 wrote:All the chatter down here in Carolina is that Pinson is all Indiana. I still wouldn't be surprised if he went the Duke route though.

I think Duke is #2, but I would still be stunned.

I think Duke ship sailed when Grayson Allen choose the Devils and from then it was only a matter of time for IU...hence the accelerated decision.

There's some chatter going around that Carolina may be a bigger player in the Pinson recruitment than I thought. Most Carolina fans think it's gonna be IU, but apparently Carolina is still heavily involved.

Roy has offers out to Pinson, Vaughn, Booker, Winslow, and Russell. He's also showing interest in Ahmed Hill and Jalen Lindsay, plus it's a possibility that Trevor Lacey could transfer in. It's pretty clear that Roy is casting a wide net because he needs two more wing players in the 2014 class to go with Justin Jackson, and Joel Berry at PG. Basically, Carolina has three wings players on the roster right now (Hairston, McDonald, & Tokoto), and it's pretty much guaranteed that two of those guys will be gone after next season.

Laley23;1444920 wrote:5* Theo Pinson will announce his intentions on Wednesday at 12:15.

5 finalists are Duke, UNC, GTown, Indiana and LVille. He has only had an official to IU, but I think has made unofficials to most if not all.

IU insiders are pointing towards an IU/Duke battle because they have been his leaders for quite some time and the decision to announce has been pushed up pretty quick to Wednesday.

I have pretty good feelings about this one. Rec, any knowledge you can gather from the Duke camp?

Haven't followed this recruitment all that closely, but I think your good vibes are probably justified as the common belief is that both Duke and Pinson have each cooled on each other. The Duke staff reportedly turned its focus at the small forward position for 2014 to Justice Winslow awhile ago. I'm hoping that Duke's strong pipeline to Texas will help the Blue Devils out with Winslow, but personally, I don't think they'll land either. Arizona is considered to be the front runner for Winslow, as Indiana is for Pinson.

While I'd love either Pinson or Winslow, with Semi Ojeleye coming to campus this fall, I think Duke will be in good shape at the 3 in 2014 even if neither come to Durham. Ojeleye has similar abilities to both, with a ferocious appetite to score, and after a full year in the Duke system, I think he'll be ready to really contribute.

What's the latest on Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor? I constantly hear that they're a package deal, and that Duke is one of the most likely destinations.

If Duke got Okafor and Jones, and then somehow landed Winslow too...I probably wouldn't like that very much. lol

ironman02;1445257 wrote:What's the latest on Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor? I constantly hear that they're a package deal, and that Duke is one of the most likely destinations.

If Duke got Okafor and Jones, and then somehow landed Winslow too...I probably wouldn't like that very much. lol

I think you are right that Jones and Okafor are a package deal. Everything I have read has indicated that as well. Aside from that, I really don't know anything new -- anything legitimate, at least -- since Jones trimmed his list to six a few weeks ago.

While most Duke fans were really high on the staff's chances at landing Okafor after his visit, I've read that Kansas might actually be a strong player, which worries me, because the Jayhawks weren't even on his radar a month or two ago. Whose short list Kansas has been on all along, however, is Tyus Jones. It makes me wonder if Jones is leaning Kansas. I could just be paranoid, as I really really really want Jones.

laley,

Any new rumblings about Pinson's decision tomorrow?

ironman02;1446165 wrote:laley,

Any new rumblings about Pinson's decision tomorrow?

Mike Pegram (Peegs.com) says IU 65% and UNC 35%. Doesnt appear to be any other players.

Sounds like his father wants him close to home and that he wants to be at IU. Parents have said that its his decision in the end and they will support it and go to all the games. Mom is behind her son with IU.

Who knows though. Dads, imo, dont have as big a pull as moms...but there has to be something there.

There are a lot of positive vibes around the Carolina boards right now, but I'm skeptical. Pinson was one of the first players in this class to receive an offer from Roy, but he never seemed that excited about Carolina. Obviously things could have changed, but all recent signs point to IU. More than likely, the positive rumblings for Carolina are just to create anticipation for tomorrow.

That said, I'd love to have Pinson. He's not the greatest shooter, but may be improving, and uses his athleticism to impact the game in many different ways...defensively, rebounding, etc. The Carolina staff has made a decision to take two more wing players in this class, so if Pinson somehow chooses Carolina, someone else better get on board quickly. Hopefully that someone will be Rashad Vaughn.

So 2 days ago it was like 90% IU and everyone thought IU. Everything has done an almost 180 and UNC is the trendy pick.

Fuck, I have no clue what to think. lol

In the end, I think IU has been his leader all along and I tend to think that usually wins out, despite late efforts from other schools. But at the same time, it is SOOO hard to beat the state school. Especially when its in a nice place like Carolina...

I still say IU, but its about 50-50. We will know in an hour.

Sounds like UNC. Pretty crazy turn the last few days. Damn.

UNC.

Would love to know how this whole thing played out.

Wow, surprising. Thought he was headed to IU for sure.

Good news for Minnesota though, might mean that UNC won't be pushing for Rashad Vaughn too much as they have Pinson and Jackson committed already for 2014 on the wing, or that Vaughn might be a bit turned off as it's rumored he's looking to be "the man" somewhere.

Wow can't believe that. Iu fans can't be happy with that one.

SportsAndLady;1446548 wrote:Wow can't believe that. Iu fans can't be happy with that one.

Sucks, because he is obviously a great player.

But IU is still in great shape with quite a few players. It would be a lot worse if this was like Kyrie...where we lead all the way and then all of a sudden its Duke...and IU had no back-up plans lol.

Bluiett
Lyle
Exum
Goodluck
Pinson
Blackmon JR (committed)

Needed to get at least 3, possibly 4 out of that group. Goodluck and Exum have IU as their pick right now, just a matter of closing the deal, unlike Pinson lol.

The excitement in the Carolina basketball office the week of the Wiggins announcement was actually about Pinson, I believe. I was reluctant to assume that though, because things were trending strongly in IU's favor.

This is a great recruiting win for Carolina and Roy. Roy wants another wing in this class and it's Rashad Vaughn. He's taking one more wing regardless, but Vaughn is THE target. Hopefully he takes the spot before someone else does.

2014 is shaping up to be one of the best Carolina classes in several years.

Laley23;1446545 wrote:UNC.

Would love to know how this whole thing played out.

“It’s an hour from his house,” said Dave Telep, the ESPN national college basketball recruiting analyst. “His parents (are close), his dad’s going to go to every game. I think what’s interesting here is that Indiana committed to this guy with all their resources. And then at the end North Carolina flexed its in-state muscle, and that was it.”

In the end, two schools – UNC and Indiana – were most in contention for him.

“He said it’s probably going to come down to who’s going to be one of the last coaches I talked to at the end,” Pinson Sr. said during a phone interview. “And I think the last coach he talked to was coach Roy, and he put the full-court press on him.”

Yep. Geography won out. When you are a legendary, top-three program just 50 miles away in the same state of a recruit you want, you pretty much sell yourself.

It's interesting, because if Indiana had been in as good a state as it is now, there's no way Sean May leaves the state for North Carolina in the early 2000s. In a way, this was Indiana's chance to pay the state of North Carolina back by stealing Pinson. Almost.

Jahlil Okafor trims his list to 8:

Arizona
Baylor
Duke
Illinois
Kentucky
Kansas
Michigan state
Ohio state

https://twitter.com/jahprobound/status/339805218747338752