Christian rolls the dice with Vin Baker Jr

Jim Christian has another recruit and the recruit has a familiar name. It is Vin Baker Jr., the son of long-time NBA big man Vin Baker. Adding a recruit this late is usually not something to get overly excited about. Flipping a kid from Bryant doesn't lead to many ACC wins. But Baker Jr. is a risk Jim Christian can and should take.

One of the reasons Baker Jr. was even available was due to his size and late growth spurt. He reportedly grew four inches in the last year. He also played on low profile AAU teams. This might mean he is not an ACC caliber player. Or maybe, he is the classic late bloomer. We know he has some genetic links to elite basketball. Coming up as a guard but now moving to a Wing/Forward, might mean he has an interesting skill mix and will be able to take advantage of larger, slow defenders. We won't know any of this until he gets on campus and performs. That unknown is Christian's gamble.

I say Christian should gamble. Since he can't land enough elite prospects, Christian needs one of these diamond in the rough types to develop. Why can't it be Baker? His dad was a late bloomer too and hat is why he ended up at playing at Harford. It would be nice to see the son blossom the same way. Doing it in the ACC might be harder, but if he does succeed, it will drive more attention.

And if Baker Jr. is not an ACC talent, he can always bail on the Height. I am sure that Christian's replacement would appreciate the freed up scholarship.