BC adds another basketball recruit

Maryland wing Kamari Williams verballed to BC Wednesday. He's 6'8 and the son of NBA veteran Walt Williams. He seems like a bit of a project but there is a lot to like about his future.

Currently the recruiting services do not list any other major offers for Williams. Supposedly he was considered a strong possibility for UMass and had interest from Power 5s. The BC commitment will likely catch someone's attention and bring in another P5 suitor.

I have no problem with another under the radar recruit who has a famous father. Williams' frame is promising and we will need a player with some positional flexibility. What I also like is that he is from one of Scott Spinelli's primary recruiting areas (DC/Maryland). Spinelli knows the area well and probably has a good understanding of how a player from there will fit in under Christian and where he can take his game.

Welcome to BC Kamari. I hope you have a bright future on the Heights.

Basketball hosting elite guard

New York shooting guard Joe Girard has a pretty impressive list schools. He is set to visit Syracuse, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and Duke. But before he gets to most, he used one of his official visits to come to BC. The 2019 recruit has been on Christian's radar for a while, so it is nice that they've moved him from potential to a true campus visitor.

CORRECTED: Basketball finds elite guard

[EDITED: Heath is a 2019 recruit. My mistake. He won't be part of this team. Still a solid get.]

For a long time it looked like BC would use its open scholarship on a transfer. Instead they found one of the remaining, uncommitted elite recruits in Jay Heath. He committed Tuesday. Heath is from the D.C area, so given our recruiting staff, it was a natural fit and find. Spinelli has been listed as his primary recruiter. He also had offers from Georgetown and Kansas State.

I am always a bit skeptical with summer recruits for basketball. Other than Jared Dudley, I can't remember a late flier working out. This feels a bit different. Without Robinson, this roster became attractive to a certain type of player. Heath believes he can plug in with our returning and new talent and excel. Let's hope he is right. Welcome aboard.

BC on radar for 2019 hoops star

After the success of his most recent recruiting class, it seems like Jim Christian and his staff are going to continue to go for elite recruits. Now they are on 2019 recruit and Texas big man Drew Timme. All things considered, it is a little late to offer an elite 2019 player at this point, but Timme seems interested (at least on social media).

Timme is a Top 100 player with all the recruiting sites. He holds offers from many Big 12 schools, plus places like Virginia and Purdue. The other thing that is unique about him is that Wuczynski is his lead recruiter. Spinelli has been the guy with the best track record on elite players. Wuczynski's recruiting reputation is not as strong. It would be nice if he landed Timme.

Hoops recruiting targets becoming clear

With good players committed for the 2018 class, Jim Christian and staff are using their few days off to target 2019 and 2020 prospects.

Part of the staff was in Texas to see ESPN Top 150 prospect Montavious Murphy. Murphy does not claim a BC offer yet and it looks like he wants to stay local. Maybe our recent success and the chance to play in the ACC will get him up to Boston.

Later in the day, the staff was in Maryland to see 2020 wing prospect Che Evans. He's got lots of impressive offers. BC has a little more time there and our staff's multiple connections to the Maryland area should help.

Herren Jr gets BC offer

I don't know what to make of Jim Christian's offer to Chris Herren Jr. Barring a huge turnaround, Christian is not going to be coaching any of these new offers. If tradition holds, most recruits will bail or be unwanted by the new coach. When you throw in the Herren family history, that's a whole lot of baggage for a young kid starting the process. 

As of now, Herren is a mid-level recruit. The recruiting services don't expect him to be a difference maker. BC is the first Power 5 program to offer. The BC interest may spark other programs to offer or they might just consider him a legacy recruit from a lame duck staff.

I know Christian has to keep recruiting. I just wish he would pursue elite talent or kids who can be pushed off by the new staff without any hard feelings.

If Herren does eventually commit, I hope he makes the best of his BC career. His uncle and father both washed out at BC while battling personal demons. The pressure from fans and the media would be to finally fulfill the Herren potential (I have no idea if there would be family pressure). I also hope the new BC coach honors any offer. It would be nice to have a Herren-BC story with a happy ending.

Christian gets another guard in the recruiting class

Georgia prospect Avery Wilson committed to BC Friday. Wilson's offer list is not particularly impressive, but like some other recent recruits, he has good athleticism and could be considered a late bloomer. Due to our lack of depth, he should get playing time right away. As much as I would love Christian to be bringing in elite recruits, I have no problem with taking a shot on a good athlete. Welcome Avery. I hope you help provide a spark and surprise next year.

BC Basketball actively looking for transfers

I don't think it is a stretch to say Jim Christian is on the hot seat next year. He hasn't won and there will be a new AD eventually. However, he and his staff are still recruiting for the long term. In addition to potential freshmen, they are also active on the transfer scene. One potential target is Bryant's Nisre Zouzoua. We are not the only ones who see his Power 5 conference potential.

Bryant transfer Nisre Zouzoua has heard from NC State, Illinois, Missouri, Arizona State, Maryland, Boston College, source told ESPN.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 24, 2017

Bryant University transfer Nisre Zouzpua has heard from NC State, Illinois, Missouri, Arizona State, Maryland & Boston College.

— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) March 24, 2017

Because he is a traditional transfer, Zouzoua would have to sit a year. Considering the immediate pressure Christian is under, I am glad they are still looking at long-term prospects. It might not be enough for them to turn things around, but it will hopefully make for a smoother rebuild for the next coach.

Of course Christian's status makes recruiting that much more difficult. It will be interesting to see if things even progress with Zouzoua. It will also be interesting to see if Christian and crew jump on any immediate fixes via 5th years.

John Johnson scouting and other links

After a solid Senior Bowl, John Johnson is getting more attention.

Give credit to BC basketball assistant Scott Spinelli. Even as the team looks terrible, he's still beating the bushes looking for more talent. BC is in the mix with many players from this New Jersey showcase.

If you want to get a glimpse into how the sausage is made in recruiting rankings, it will be interesting to follow Florida Running Back Deshuan Fenwick. He was an unranked and relatively unknown prospect. BC recently offered him. Now Georgia has come into the picture. Want to bet that if this once unranked junior signs with Georgia, he will have three stars at a minimum?

Trying to rebuild local basketball connections

Despite being the only major conference team in the area, BC doesn't have great relationships with the AAU basketball powers around Boston. The problems and history are long, but it is partially because of admissions issues, JOB's scorched earth, Skinner's disinterest and Donahue not having enough time to build relationships. Jim Christian is trying to change that. Hiring a Boston guy like Spinelli was a first step, but so is getting in early on local talent.

BC just offered 2019 prospect Brycen Goodine. He is a BABC product. BABC is the oldest AAU team in the area and yet recruiting there has been hit or miss for BC. Can this be the start of a different era?

Goodine's graduation year is a long, long way away, so who knows if anything will come of this offer, but I am glad BC is being aggressive. It is just one more step to turning things around.

BC lands Kyran Bowman

Another good sign for BC Basketball -- adding elite talent late in the recruiting cycle. This time it is North Carolina guard Kyran Bowman. He's highly regarded yet somewhat of a unique case. For most of his high school career, Bowman was considered a football prospect. He received offers from many Power 5 teams and verballed to UNC. Later he changed his mind to basketball and reopened the recruiting process. He has one of the better offer lists of recent Christian recruits.

Where Bowman fits will be determined later. He is probably not a Day 1 point guard, but should be a contributer early. He has the athleticism and toughness to do it. Good luck to him and welcome to BC.

What is the path back to success?

It was fitting that BC's poorly rated recruiting class signed on the same day as the basketball team lost again. Many BC fans are wondering: "will it every get better" and "what do the coaches have to do?" The simple answer is "yes" and "everything." I don't know if Addazio and Christian will be the ones to fix their respective programs, because I feel like both are missing an element to true, long-term success.

Talent is what is most important in all sports. At a basic level, Christian and Addazio (and Brad Bates) get that. Addazio is a passionate recruiter and Christian put an emphasis on hiring ace recruiters for his staff. BC is never going to have its pick of the best players. For the sake of this post (and your own sanity), just accept that. However, BC can still get enough elite talent to win championships. But to win those championships, BC needs really, really good talent AND systems in which that talent can excel. The system aspect is where I feel like Christian and Addazio are both missing the mark.

Addazio got me thinking about systems with his Signing Day press conference. He acknowledged that BC can't really outskill top teams. He said the emphasis is going to have to be on OL and DL. It was an echo of the Pro Style discussion. Addazio has upgraded the skill talent, but not to the level where we can win on skill alone. Now he is banking on OL success and a slightly different look and style of play from most of the conference. It is the formula that worked before. I hope he can execute it at BC.

If Addazio is transitioning towards a different system, Christian is showing no signs of the same structure. Losing to Virginia should serve as a reminder. The Bennetts have won without elite talent, but with a rigid system (in their case pack line D). We've used more zone of late, but haven't gone all in on anything offensively or defensively. It is sort of the opposite of Donahue (and even Skinner). On paper Christian's talent is an upgrade, but the talent still seems lost. Perhaps it will click as they age, but I prefer a more proven model in case the talent doesn't ever reach elite levels.

The way the basketball season is headed, I think all BC fans will be questioning the future. Things will get better. I just hope it is sooner rather than later.

Christian makes the most of Early Signing Day

College Basketball, unlike College Football, has an official Early Signing Day. This allows hoops commits to sign an official Letter of Intent before the season and locks them into the commitment. Timing and circumstances forced Jim Christian to fill in his first two classes with late bloomers and kids screwed over by coaching changes. This year is different. Christian signed two well-regarded recruits Wednesday for his 2016 recruiting class. 

The bigger get is North Carolina guard Ty Graves. Landing a prospect deep in Tobacco Road might raise eyebrows. Why didn't the local powers want him? Well, they did. He had interest and offers from many ACC programs, but BC worked him hard and offered more immediate playing time. Some are calling Graves the steal of the recruiting season. Graves is smallish, but has more than enough ball skills and defensive acumen to be our starting point guard in the near future.

Not as heralded but still important is the other new commitment: wing Mike Sagay. He's a New England product so you always hope that helps local recruiting. Sagay is still growing. At BC he might physically develop to the point where he can play a little power forward.

So now Christian has the centerpiece of this recruiting class locked up, he can use his remaining openings to find another player or two that can help speed up the rebuilding. 

Carlos Reyes talks about his BC commitment

Here is BC newest big man John Carlos Reyes talking about his decision to commit to Boston College. It is a casual conversation and he reviews his finalists and BC's ultimate appeal. I know we spend a lot of time talking about what BC has to offer, but as you can see, sometimes it is as simple as playing time in the ACC.

Good luck to John. I look forward to seeing how he develops.

Carter is coming

Now we have a transfer! Former Rutgers and Florida guard Eli Carter announced he will spend his final year of eligibility at BC. The graduate transfer is eligible immediately. Carter fills multiple needs for Christian and is a huge get. We now have a proven Power 5 defender. He won't score like Olivier, but Carter can turn it on and should provide solid offensive production. Most importantly, Christian gets some veteran leadership. Carter is already 24 (he played at St. Anthony's and in prep school, plus the college transfer). He's a grown man. This should make a difference on a very young and green BC team.

The recruiting guys gave Scott Spinelli most of the credit for landing Carter. Christian also deserves credit for again being opportunistic. Ideally BC would have their pick of elite recruits. But picking up quality guys late in the process due to coaching changes or other team's musical chairs is not a bad plan. What others might view as scrambling, I view as upgrading talent.

Welcome to BC, Eli. It will only be one year. Let's hope it is a good one.

Christian gets his big man

As much as we (and to a certain extent Jim Christian's staff) wanted an elite transfer, Christian more than made up for it with another solid piece to this incoming class. 6'9 F/C John Carlos-Reyes committed to BC Thursday night. The Georgia product picked BC over offers from Penn State and South Florida. I don't know enough about Carlos-Reyes to know why he was still available at this point in the process. But kudos to Christian for being opportunistic.

The only downside to this scholarship is that BC is once again imbalanced with regards to talent. We have another mega-class that puts BC in the cycle of losing, hoping the guys get better and then rebuilding every four years. It will be up to Christian to add some balance in the next two recruiting cycles.

Christian hires Stan Heath as final assistant.

After some initial reports, Vega confirmed with Christian that he added former Arkansas and South Florida coach Stan Heath to the staff. Heath fills the open position created by Preston Murphy's departure. On a very basic level this is a great hire. We replace a young assistant with an experienced major conference coach. Christian fills an open spot with a former boss (which I always take as a sign of respect between the two). Hiring Heath also speaks to a decent budget. BC won't release Heath's salary, but I doubt he came cheap.

There are of course questions related to the Heath hire. Can he recruit to a school like BC with tougher admission standards? Can he recruit New England? Does he have the young energy that enabled Murphy to relate to recruits?

As much as the Murphy departure worried me, this sort of move calms my nerves a bit. Sometimes personalities just don't mix. If Murphy and Christian weren't on the same page, it is better to address it early than late. I assume that Heath and Christian will work well together. The roles are reversed, but they had success once before. Even if Heath is not as effective as Murphy on the recruiting trail, a united staff is ultimately what Christian needs. There will be bumps ahead and by adding Heath he gets a trusted sounding board, who will hopefully lead BC back to success.

Latvian Meznieks commits

Jim Christian added the most interesting piece to his recruiting class yet: Ervins Meznieks. Other than some Youtube highlights (below), there is not much available on the Latvian. He's 6'6 so he's undersized to be a true front court player. He seems like the sort of risk Christian can take right now. If he matures and develops, BC gets a steal. If he doesn't then the odds are he'll be back in Europe in a year or two. Good luck to Ervins and let's see where this unique recruiting class goes next.

Barnes-Thompkins commits

Jim Christian picked up another recruit with Sammy Barnes-Thompkins. He is a combo guard from Arizona and originally committed to St. John's and reopened his recruiting after Steve Lavin left. This is huge on many fronts. First BC added some major conference talent and depth. Second, like last year, BC took advantage of a coaching change at another school. In an ideal world, BC would have a deep pipeline and relationships that allowed them to lock up their own recruits. But being opportunistic about a shakeup at another program is not a bad thing.

This seems like the end of the 2015 recruits. Now BC can focus on transfers, who can bring roster balances and some experience.

Why Christian needs transfers

With or without Hanlan, next season was probably going to be a rebuilding effort. The team is going to be young and lacking enough depth to be consistently competitive in ACC play. Christian has three respected recruits committed and will likely pick up at least one more this month. However, if he wants long-term success and stability, Christian should use his remaining scholarships to find a few transfers.

As with football, transfers allow BC to add depth that is older and physically more mature. While the long-term upside is limited with transfers, it buys Christian time without bottoming out. Plus, transfers ease roster balance. BC Basketball is in a bad cycle of megaclasses. If a megaclass doesn't pan out, you are stuck with four years of underachievement. Megaclasses are also a challenge with player development (spreading minutes) and recruiting cycles.

Ideally BC would have three impact recruits coming in every year to provide the right mix of new energy, but plenty of depth and stability.

Christian used transfers well last year on relatively short notice. This season had more planning, so I expect one or two of these guys to end up at BC. Position is not critical (although a defensive big man and a true point guard would be nice). What is critical is getting experience to this young roster.