I do not have any confirmed specifics for the reasoning, but Jeff James will not be coming to the Mount to join the men's basketball team this year. I suspected as much with the arrival of Evan Cleveland, (which was reported her first on Aug. 22) but could not say so for sure.
With the men's basketball roster updated at MountAthletics.com, sans James, it is official. This means that none of the recruits signed by Milan Brown remained with the program after Brown left for Holy Cross. Donte Morales is headed to UNC-Wilmington, Justin Burrell is headed to prep school, then Holy Cross, and James is headed God knows where.
This is actually kind of cool because now Burke will have to wait one less year to say that he has all of his own players. Excluding redshirt freshman David Golladay, everyone in the class of 2014 on will have been recruited by Burke for as long as he remains with the team.
Cleveland joins Julian Norfleet and Josh Castellanos as the other two members of Burke's inaugural recruiting class.
Showing posts with label Jeff James. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeff James. Show all posts
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
MountAthletics.com announces Norfleet, Castellanos, as final two signees
As some of you saw and commented, the final two players of the incoming recruiting class have been announced on MountAthletics.com.
We already knew that Jeff James would be coming after signing when Milan Brown was still the head coach. Now Josh Castellanos and Julian Norfleet have been added to the class of 2014 recruiting class.
Norfleet, from Virginia Beach, was the player I was hinting about in my Dorsett post when I said "I do, however, think that at least one of them will be used and as I get more concrete information on the subject I'll post it." At that point I knew he had been offered but had not heard whether he accepted.
A close friend of his high school coach told me that Norfleet will be able to fill in at point guard when necessary, a la Jean Cajou, and added that he is both a shooter and a scorer. Evidence of Norfleet's shooting ability lies in his Virginia State Beach District tournament record of eight 3s made in a game, which was set during his junior season.
We've had a shooter in Will Holland and scorers in Jeremy Goode, Kelly Beidler, and when necessary Jean Cajou. Hopefully this fills the void of having a player who must be defended beyond the perimeter as well as on the drive. The closest thing we have to that now is Cajou, although his shooting percentage went down last season, and Pierre Brown.
Pierre Brown was 16-for-36 - 44 percent - from 3 last year and as the strongest and most athletic returning guard on the team has the ability to drive and score. Expect a much bigger contribution from Pierre Brown - likely a starter at small forward - this season.
Rivals.com had this to say about the left-handed Norfleet on June 4:
"Landstown (Virginia Beach, VA) 6-foot-2 guard Julian Norfleet has had a host of interest from Division I College Basketball programs, most notably East Carolina, UAB, VCU and St. Francis of PA."
With interest from a CAA school and two Conference USA schools, it appears that we got someone who fell through the cracks in some ways.
As for Castellanos, I know little about him other than what is listed in the press release. Only Norfleet is listed on Rivals, with no rating, and ESPN and neither play is listed on Scout. I do know, however, that Castellanos signed with the team Tuesday*, so my bad on letting that get by. An interesting note on Castellanos is that his high school teammate, Orlando Parker, signed with Wagner.
*I received my job offer Tuesday and have been looking for an apartment/moving some stuff from Emmitsburg since then.
So all three class of 2014 recruits have first names beginning with the letter J. Excuse the corniness and simplicity of my suggestions, but should we call them the Blue Js? The 3 Js? I think we have a lot of options here. Please give better suggestions and I'll put a poll up.
Norfleet on ESPN:
Rating of 80/100, No. 194 shooting guard in his class.
The commentary for non-ESPN insiders: "April, 2009: Julian is a lefty combo guard that is athletic and extremely quick with deep shooting range. He is clearly one of the best shooters/scorers emerging in the 2010 class. Offensively he is equally effective off the dribble or catch and shoot. He consistently knocks it down from 23 feet"
Justin Burrell is rated 74 and the No. 194 point guard in his class. Keep in mind the distinction between their positions. Also note that ESPN is the worst of the recruit rating services.
---
I like the enthusiasm on the new staff, but let's not put them above the old staff - it's apples and oranges. Clearly I have allegiances to Brown's staff, but to say that Burke's guys will be better recruiters is jumping the gun. Brown inherited a 3-24 team and the players he brought in got better and better each year with the most successful class being the one that just left.
I do agree with, John, though, that we have great potential connections with these guys so I'm looking forward to who they can sign this fall and next spring with a full recruiting season under their belt. What looked like a potentially disastrous rebuilding year has turned into a cautiously optimistic one since Burke's hiring.
---
Here is a YouTube gallery of Norfleet. Would love to get some more info/highlights on Castellanos, so please let me know if you have something and I'll gladly give him equal pub.
Go to the 1:06 mark for the beginning of commentary on Norfleet and the 1:40 mark for the first comments from Norfleet himself:
Highlights featuring Norfleet:
Music is whack in this one. And why would someone include a bank 3 (1:18) in a highlight tape?
Love the competitive side that comes out in this one (and the music is way better):
Probably the most professionally produced and in-depth one:
We already knew that Jeff James would be coming after signing when Milan Brown was still the head coach. Now Josh Castellanos and Julian Norfleet have been added to the class of 2014 recruiting class.
Norfleet, from Virginia Beach, was the player I was hinting about in my Dorsett post when I said "I do, however, think that at least one of them will be used and as I get more concrete information on the subject I'll post it." At that point I knew he had been offered but had not heard whether he accepted.
A close friend of his high school coach told me that Norfleet will be able to fill in at point guard when necessary, a la Jean Cajou, and added that he is both a shooter and a scorer. Evidence of Norfleet's shooting ability lies in his Virginia State Beach District tournament record of eight 3s made in a game, which was set during his junior season.
We've had a shooter in Will Holland and scorers in Jeremy Goode, Kelly Beidler, and when necessary Jean Cajou. Hopefully this fills the void of having a player who must be defended beyond the perimeter as well as on the drive. The closest thing we have to that now is Cajou, although his shooting percentage went down last season, and Pierre Brown.
Pierre Brown was 16-for-36 - 44 percent - from 3 last year and as the strongest and most athletic returning guard on the team has the ability to drive and score. Expect a much bigger contribution from Pierre Brown - likely a starter at small forward - this season.
Rivals.com had this to say about the left-handed Norfleet on June 4:
"Landstown (Virginia Beach, VA) 6-foot-2 guard Julian Norfleet has had a host of interest from Division I College Basketball programs, most notably East Carolina, UAB, VCU and St. Francis of PA."
With interest from a CAA school and two Conference USA schools, it appears that we got someone who fell through the cracks in some ways.
As for Castellanos, I know little about him other than what is listed in the press release. Only Norfleet is listed on Rivals, with no rating, and ESPN and neither play is listed on Scout. I do know, however, that Castellanos signed with the team Tuesday*, so my bad on letting that get by. An interesting note on Castellanos is that his high school teammate, Orlando Parker, signed with Wagner.
*I received my job offer Tuesday and have been looking for an apartment/moving some stuff from Emmitsburg since then.
So all three class of 2014 recruits have first names beginning with the letter J. Excuse the corniness and simplicity of my suggestions, but should we call them the Blue Js? The 3 Js? I think we have a lot of options here. Please give better suggestions and I'll put a poll up.
Norfleet on ESPN:
Rating of 80/100, No. 194 shooting guard in his class.
The commentary for non-ESPN insiders: "April, 2009: Julian is a lefty combo guard that is athletic and extremely quick with deep shooting range. He is clearly one of the best shooters/scorers emerging in the 2010 class. Offensively he is equally effective off the dribble or catch and shoot. He consistently knocks it down from 23 feet"
Justin Burrell is rated 74 and the No. 194 point guard in his class. Keep in mind the distinction between their positions. Also note that ESPN is the worst of the recruit rating services.
---
I like the enthusiasm on the new staff, but let's not put them above the old staff - it's apples and oranges. Clearly I have allegiances to Brown's staff, but to say that Burke's guys will be better recruiters is jumping the gun. Brown inherited a 3-24 team and the players he brought in got better and better each year with the most successful class being the one that just left.
I do agree with, John, though, that we have great potential connections with these guys so I'm looking forward to who they can sign this fall and next spring with a full recruiting season under their belt. What looked like a potentially disastrous rebuilding year has turned into a cautiously optimistic one since Burke's hiring.
---
Here is a YouTube gallery of Norfleet. Would love to get some more info/highlights on Castellanos, so please let me know if you have something and I'll gladly give him equal pub.
Go to the 1:06 mark for the beginning of commentary on Norfleet and the 1:40 mark for the first comments from Norfleet himself:
Highlights featuring Norfleet:
Music is whack in this one. And why would someone include a bank 3 (1:18) in a highlight tape?
Love the competitive side that comes out in this one (and the music is way better):
Probably the most professionally produced and in-depth one:
Thursday, June 3, 2010
No-el, No-el
The glimmer of hope that coach Robert Burke might land Levi Noel as his first recruit was extinguished last night.
Noel, a 6-foot-5 forward, whose high school coach says he can play 1 through 4, has committed to Eastern Illinois of the much more highly-regarded Ohio Valley Conference.
Whether he has actually signed, I'm not sure, but that would be a formality at this point.
Look no further than his Facebook profile picture for proof.
If that were not enough, one of his friends writes on his wall at 9:47 p.m. last night to, among other things, congratulate him on choosing Eastern Illinois. Noel responds by, among other things, thanking him.
Other than the nearly lost hope of landing Justin Burrell, I do not know who the Mount is recruiting for next year although there have been recruits making visits.
Two things I would expect to see are Burke using his international ties to land someone late and for Burke to continue hunting down a point guard other than Burrell.
As of right now the Mount has three scholarships to give for the incoming class and only one of them is taken by Milan Brown's recruit Jeff James of Bowie High School.
Noel, a 6-foot-5 forward, whose high school coach says he can play 1 through 4, has committed to Eastern Illinois of the much more highly-regarded Ohio Valley Conference.
Whether he has actually signed, I'm not sure, but that would be a formality at this point.
Look no further than his Facebook profile picture for proof.
If that were not enough, one of his friends writes on his wall at 9:47 p.m. last night to, among other things, congratulate him on choosing Eastern Illinois. Noel responds by, among other things, thanking him.
Other than the nearly lost hope of landing Justin Burrell, I do not know who the Mount is recruiting for next year although there have been recruits making visits.
Two things I would expect to see are Burke using his international ties to land someone late and for Burke to continue hunting down a point guard other than Burrell.
As of right now the Mount has three scholarships to give for the incoming class and only one of them is taken by Milan Brown's recruit Jeff James of Bowie High School.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Cajou says he never asked for release / Sam Atupem on staff? / Burrell update
Mount St. Mary’s rising senior guard Jean Cajou says he never formally asked for a release from his National Letter of Intent at Mount St. Mary’s.
“The way I went about it I was like ‘if I had to leave, what would happen?’ I don’t know if I was like ‘I’m gonna leave,’ I just wanted to see,” Cajou said.
A 2009 – 2010 collegeinsider.com Mid-Major All-American Defensive team selection, Cajou confirmed Monday that he did speak to director of compliance Jen Wivell about his options if he got a release. Cajou, however, says he stopped short of asking her for paperwork that would grant him leave from the school once he met new Mount coach Robert Burke.
“I wanted to keep the family aspect and I felt that if I had left that I’d be letting my team down – letting my family down,” Cajou said. “I figured that wasn’t the right thing to do for myself, for my family, for my team and honestly for coach [Milan] Brown.”
Cajou, whose loyalties to his former coach run deep, was disappointed that first assistant Brion Dunlap was not named head coach, but says his animosity over that decision was quelled once he heard about and met coach Burke.
Said Cajou: “[I will] try to do whatever [Burke] asks us to do because I’m definitely trying to go out with a bang. I’m trying to get another championship."
---
ATUPEM MAY BE PART OF BURKE'S STAFF
Class of 2009 Mount graduate and a four-year member of the men's basketball team Sam Atupem may be in line to get a spot on coach Burke's staff. Atupem was seen at the press conference as well as speaking to Burke afterwards, which could mean that he is being considered to be part of Burke's staff.
Although there is a chance that Atupem could be named third assistant, he would likely find himself in a director of basketball operations or video coordinator position that covers his graduate classes and provides a modest stipend if he is hired. Atupem was unavailable for comment after the press conference.
A four-year starter for the men's basketball team, Atupem, alongside classmate Markus Mitchell, was a frontline stalwart of the Mount's most recent NEC championship team in 2008. In Atupem's first year away from playing for the Mount, he worked under former second assistant basketball coach Tyrone Perry as a graduate assistant in the Mount's Third Century Scholars program for minority students and was a volunteer assistant for the men's team.
---
COMMITMENT UPDATE
Justin Burrell is still undecided as to whether he will come to the Mount next year. According to players who have spoken to Burrell, coach Burke talked to Burrell and remains optimistic that he will be able to retain the 5-foot-8 point guard who garnered Washington Post All-Metro second-team honors this season.
Jeff James from Bowie High School will honor his commitment to play at the Mount next season, while the third member of the original class of 2014 recruiting class, Donte Morales, has since signed with UNC-Wilmington.
Save for walk-on Mike Harvey, all of last year's eligible returning players will be back including David Golladay and Ja'Colby Wells. Wells was the last of this year's freshmen class who was up in the air after Raven Barber and Kristijan Krajina announced they were staying. Golladay redshirted this season and would have been free to transfer without having to sit out for a year. Harvey plans to play at Mary Washington, an NCAA Division III school in Fredericksburg, Va.
---
ROBERT MORRIS TO HIRE TOOLE
The Colonials are expected to announce the promotion of assistant coach Andrew Toole to head coach tomorrow, filling the void left by departing coach Mike Rice. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, this paves the way for NEC Rookie of the Year Karon Abraham to stay with the team.
---
Check back tomorrow for details on the men's lacrosse's MAAC championship as well as more information on coach Burke.
“The way I went about it I was like ‘if I had to leave, what would happen?’ I don’t know if I was like ‘I’m gonna leave,’ I just wanted to see,” Cajou said.
A 2009 – 2010 collegeinsider.com Mid-Major All-American Defensive team selection, Cajou confirmed Monday that he did speak to director of compliance Jen Wivell about his options if he got a release. Cajou, however, says he stopped short of asking her for paperwork that would grant him leave from the school once he met new Mount coach Robert Burke.
“I wanted to keep the family aspect and I felt that if I had left that I’d be letting my team down – letting my family down,” Cajou said. “I figured that wasn’t the right thing to do for myself, for my family, for my team and honestly for coach [Milan] Brown.”
Cajou, whose loyalties to his former coach run deep, was disappointed that first assistant Brion Dunlap was not named head coach, but says his animosity over that decision was quelled once he heard about and met coach Burke.
Said Cajou: “[I will] try to do whatever [Burke] asks us to do because I’m definitely trying to go out with a bang. I’m trying to get another championship."
---
ATUPEM MAY BE PART OF BURKE'S STAFF
Class of 2009 Mount graduate and a four-year member of the men's basketball team Sam Atupem may be in line to get a spot on coach Burke's staff. Atupem was seen at the press conference as well as speaking to Burke afterwards, which could mean that he is being considered to be part of Burke's staff.
Although there is a chance that Atupem could be named third assistant, he would likely find himself in a director of basketball operations or video coordinator position that covers his graduate classes and provides a modest stipend if he is hired. Atupem was unavailable for comment after the press conference.
A four-year starter for the men's basketball team, Atupem, alongside classmate Markus Mitchell, was a frontline stalwart of the Mount's most recent NEC championship team in 2008. In Atupem's first year away from playing for the Mount, he worked under former second assistant basketball coach Tyrone Perry as a graduate assistant in the Mount's Third Century Scholars program for minority students and was a volunteer assistant for the men's team.
---
COMMITMENT UPDATE
Justin Burrell is still undecided as to whether he will come to the Mount next year. According to players who have spoken to Burrell, coach Burke talked to Burrell and remains optimistic that he will be able to retain the 5-foot-8 point guard who garnered Washington Post All-Metro second-team honors this season.
Jeff James from Bowie High School will honor his commitment to play at the Mount next season, while the third member of the original class of 2014 recruiting class, Donte Morales, has since signed with UNC-Wilmington.
Save for walk-on Mike Harvey, all of last year's eligible returning players will be back including David Golladay and Ja'Colby Wells. Wells was the last of this year's freshmen class who was up in the air after Raven Barber and Kristijan Krajina announced they were staying. Golladay redshirted this season and would have been free to transfer without having to sit out for a year. Harvey plans to play at Mary Washington, an NCAA Division III school in Fredericksburg, Va.
---
ROBERT MORRIS TO HIRE TOOLE
The Colonials are expected to announce the promotion of assistant coach Andrew Toole to head coach tomorrow, filling the void left by departing coach Mike Rice. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, this paves the way for NEC Rookie of the Year Karon Abraham to stay with the team.
---
Check back tomorrow for details on the men's lacrosse's MAAC championship as well as more information on coach Burke.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)