Recruiting

How to define the "class" is problematical, but I'll take the practical approach: it consists of the players who be available to play for the first time. If you take it that way, this is an outstanding group. Here is who we lost: Woods, Green, Hagins, Ruttley. Or, put numerically, a combo guard, a swing man who could play point, a 3/4 forward, and a big man. You don't plug the holes left by seniors with true freshmen, but you can say that help is on the way. Is it?

Watkins, Black, Corbyn, Pippins, Jones, Goldman

Hopefully, Watkins can come as close to filling the point guard situation as anyone we might have found. Throw in Johnson, Burns and Pippins, and we should be in good shape there. Job done.

Ruttley's versatility will only be replaced by committee, and that is likely what will happen. Physically, Jones is the closest match from the recruits, but Billings/Hill/Jackson likely will get most of Ruttley's minutes. This spot really was already covered this year without recruiting. Next year is another story, but hopefully Jones is the man we needed.

With the departure of Woods we lost our only reliable inside scorer, and that is a problem. Neither Black nor Corbyn come in advertised as prolific scorers, but they should help some. Goldman might help a little, but that is a lot to expect from a true freshman big man, even if he has good skills. Job only partially done.

Green never got to play much, but he provided a space-filler in spots. Black and Corbyn should easily handle his role.

Grade: B
Job pretty well done by the staff, but some question marks left inside.