Adreian Payne (OFFER)

[Muskie]

Position: PF
High School: Jefferson High School
Home Town: Dayton, Ohio
Number: TBD
Height: 6'9
Weight: 210

Offers:
Xavier, Cincinnati, Dayton, West Virginia

Interested Schools:
Indiana, Ohio St.

[beatuc]

I just read on the Enquirer prep sports blog that UC and Dayton have also offered this kid. I would love to get another kid out of Dayton's backyard. Would this be the first recruiting battle between Mick and Sean?

[Lamont Sanford]

I just read on the Enquirer prep sports blog that UC and Dayton have also offered this kid. I would love to get another kid out of Dayton's backyard. Would this be the first recruiting battle between Mick and Sean?

Nope. Both schools went after Yancy Gates from Withrow hard and Sippin Mick won that battle.

[beatuc]

Nope. Both schools went after Yancy Gates from Withrow hard and Sippin Mick won that battle.

To be honest that guy seems like a bad apple to me. I'm glad Gates didn't come to X.

[Lamont Sanford]

To be honest that guy seems like a bad apple to me. I'm glad Gates didn't come to X.

Can't disagree with you on that. The kid is talented and huge, but has some growing up to do (as evident by his recent suspension by his coach, Walt McBride).

[jcubspoe]

Flyerfan here. AP could be a good. I went and watched him play against Josh Benson and Dunbar earlier this year. AP is every bit of 6-9 going on 6-10. He has all the makings of a very good power foward. Played with great heart and actually outplayed JB that game. JB was just much more polished and made it look "easier". If either UD or X can land him it's a pretty good pickup. I did see BG at that game and a rep from UC.

[Muskie]

He's been officially upgraded to 6-9 in the height department.

[OX09]

I saw this kid on campus with a group of our current basketball players around him about a week before finals. He is definitely taller than DBrown.

[BlueGuy]

Any relation to former muskie Terrance Payne?

[xuphan]

Rivals have updated 2010 rankings. Adreian Payne is now a 5 star and is ranked 14 in the class of 2010.

[kyxu]

I think he's Ohio State's to lose.

[xufan02]

He would be a great get no doubt. I will take Donnie Hale if we can not get Payne.

[MADXSTER]

I think he's Ohio State's to lose.

Do you think losing Groce will hurt OSU?

[A10fan]

I think he's Ohio State's to lose.


OSU already has commitments from Sullinger and Thomas and those guys are 5 star forwards also. I think even Thad would have a tough time convincing Payne that the minutes are there. I think UD actually has a pretty good chance to land him based on Staten and Wright being there and he plays with those guys all summer.

[Arnold Horshack]

I can't believe how UD's recruiting has improved based on nothing. They should have never had a chance at Staten or Wright. Now talk of Payne? That's just crazy.

[A10fan]

I can't believe how UD's recruiting has improved based on nothing. They should have never had a chance at Staten or Wright. Now talk of Payne? That's just crazy.

They still suck at recruiting. If Wright and Staten weren't from Dayton they would have NO SHOT at them. They just got a couple of local kids to stay home.

[Arnold Horshack]

They still suck at recruiting. If Wright and Staten weren't from Dayton they would have NO SHOT at them. They just got a couple of local kids to stay home.

Well, if they get any more local kids like Payne to stay home, they could be dangerous. The Dayton area seems to be producing a lot of talent. If they begin to dominate that recruiting zone, they could have a good team. We need to keep plucking the Sato's and Brown's out of there, but we seem focused on New York. I sure hope things pan out for us in these remote recruiting areas. We seem to be staking a lot on them.

[AdamtheFlyer]

Dayton is focusing on great lakes region as a whole. Searcy, Williams, Fabreeze, Thomas, and the Ohio players.

Sometimes recruiting is about luck more than anything else. Xavier never gets David West if he's two inches taller. Same with Jameer Nelson and SJU. If Patterson chooses Florida over UK, Freese probably goes to UK. If we can grab three top 100 talents simply because of where they were born, so be it. Don't ask questions.

More than anything, though, we're seeing the trickle down effect from the one year in college rule. Payne never thinks about the A10 level if there's 10 fewer kids entering college. Probably the same with Wright and Frease. It's good for us, and good for the game.

[LyonsIsFlyin]

Recruiting is all about luck, I agree. But kids should still be smart enough to pass on UD, IMHO.

[MHettel]

Frease was already signed at XU when Patterson committed to UK.

Good try, though, UD fan.

[AdamtheFlyer]

Frease was already signed at XU when Patterson committed to UK.

Good try, though, UD fan.

Officially, yes by a little over a month.

But in reality, Patterson was never going anywhere but UK. Tubby had stopped recruiting bigs well before the quiet period because he knew he had Patterson in the bag. Only after Tubby left did anyone really suspect PPat may go to Florida, and even then it was highly unlikely.

[A10fan]

Officially, yes by a little over a month.

But in reality, Patterson was never going anywhere but UK. Tubby had stopped recruiting bigs well before the quiet period because he knew he had Patterson in the bag. Only after Tubby left did anyone really suspect PPat may go to Florida, and even then it was highly unlikely.

you aren't livin in reality if you believe what you just posted. patterson is an '07 recruit and kf is '08. Why in the world, with the one and dones, would Tubby NOT recruit another big? Tubby knew he wasn't going to get him just like miller stopped on CW when he realized he wasn't gonna have a chance. Quit makin' it sound like kf settled on X because uk stopped//

[xu95]

Also, Frease was going to be coming to X for a long time before he actually committed. He had a little bit of a liking of UK, but it was because of Tubby. As soon as Tubby left he committed to Xavier.

Don't let facts get in the way of believing that Xavier can't actually have a top ranked recruit wanting to go to school there.

xu95

[AdamtheFlyer]

Don't let homerdom get in the way of the point. The point is, when a big time program chooses one highly ranked recruit over another(or a player that falls just short of their "combine" like test), the "lower" programs often benefit. Tubby, contrary to what you may think, had basically stopped recruiting all together because he knew Patterson was in the bag. That was Tubby's biggest fault at UK, easing up after feeling good about one top player. When did Tubby ever get two great classes in a row? He didn't. He thought he could win with one star and a bunch of role players.

Kenny Frease, like Wright, barely fell through the top powers' cracks. That's lucky. Jumping on lucky breaks like that is what programs at the A10 level must do to prosper. Both players may have chose the same schools regardless, but the odds decrease when UK, MSU, Texas and the like turn on the charm. Sometimes they don't.

[X Factor]

Don't let homerdom get in the way of the point. The point is, when a big time program chooses one highly ranked recruit over another(or a player that falls just short of their "combine" like test), the "lower" programs often benefit. Tubby, contrary to what you may think, had basically stopped recruiting all together because he knew Patterson was in the bag. That was Tubby's biggest fault at UK, easing up after feeling good about one top player. When did Tubby ever get two great classes in a row? He didn't. He thought he could win with one star and a bunch of role players.

Kenny Frease, like Wright, barely fell through the top powers' cracks. That's lucky. Jumping on lucky breaks like that is what programs at the A10 level must do to prosper. Both players may have chose the same schools regardless, but the odds decrease when UK, MSU, Texas and the like turn on the charm. Sometimes they don't.


Adam, you're living in Flyer la la land if you seriously believe what you are writing. Chris Wright and Kenny Frease's recruitments are completely different. Chris Wright is a hometown kid, had an uncle who played for UD, and was probably going to UD regarless of who was coaching. I'll still give Gregory credit though for the committment, although it was a pretty easy sell.

Sean Miller recruited Kenny very hard and in the end, Kenny chose Xavier. It had nothing to do with Patterson, who wasn't "in the bag" at all for UK like you say. In fact, most UK fans credit Billy Gillespie with closing the deal on Patterson committing to UK.

I'm sure Xavier's record of producing NBA big men had nothing to do with Kenny choosing Xavier, or making yearly appearances in the NCAA tournament, or playing a top notch schedule, etc.

Kenny didn't fall through the cracks, as you say. Sean and his staff are recruiting the midwest, the east coast, and the south pretty hard. Sean Miller can recruit, no doubt about it.

[MADXSTER]

Isn't this the Adreian Payne (OFFER) Thread or did I get lost somewhere?

[Xman95]

Isn't this the Adreian Payne (OFFER) Thread or did I get lost somewhere?


You musta got lost, musta got lost, musta got lost somewhere down the line.

[XU Dozer]

Isn't this the Adreian Payne (OFFER) Thread or did I get lost somewhere?

You shoulda took a left at Albuquerque!!!!

[xuphan]

On the Buckeye premium board, a known reliable poster said that Payne has indeed committed to Dayton today. Really wanted him to come to Xavier.

[xufan02]

I don't think he has verballed because it has not hit the dayton boards, and Scoop "rivals" Snow said it is not true.

[waggy]

That's a fine pick-up if true. They might actually start making the tourney if they continue the current recruiting which seems to be on the upswing.

[AdamtheFlyer]

My HS coach is pretty close to the people near Payne, and he sent me an email earlier today. It's not bad for me, but it's not 100% yet.

I've also heard from others I trust that a lot of talk about people not buying into Matta anymore. They already had one kid back out, and others are supposedly not responding to his calls.

[MFurey]

Adam

Can you clarify your post?

[AdamtheFlyer]

When he's not out of town with All-Ohio Red, he's playing in open gyms with UD players. Part of him wants to be there, to commit now, but he's still not set on that. He wants to play with Sullinger, but supposedly feels like Matta wants Hairston more, and Payne is just his fallback option. Doesn't want to be a fallback option. Doesn't want to wait that long. He does have an offer from OSU, but doesn't feel like it's entirely genuine at this point.

Obviously, this is third hand info that comes equip with the standard grain of salt, but I trust the source enough to know that he truly believes what he is hearing.

[DoubleD86]

I hope the AP to Dayton is not true, he would be a great get for Xavier. Oddly enough, I heard rumors of people "hearing" that AP was going to commit to UC as well. Although I have no concrete evidence to anything, just what I have heard from others who have heard from others who might have some knowledge.

[PM Thor]

I highly doubt X gets AP. I can't quantify it, but I just feel like Payne is on the backburner in terms of recruitment from X. Sure, X has offered, just think that there are other players we are higher on that we could get.

I may be wrong, and this kid would be a great, great get. But for me, I'm not too worried if we lose out on him.

[xufan02]

Pm Thor, I agree with you. Everything I have read about our recruiting for the 2010 class says we are looking for a face up four in that class. Also I think Xavier has way to much ground to make up on Dayton and OSU in terms of AP. They could dump a ton of money and time into recruiting him and it will give us a outside shot at the most. We have some solid targets in the 2010 class. Honestly I would be shocked if he went anywhere other than OSU or Dayton.

[jcubspoe]

Here's two articles from today's DDN on AP:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/high-schools/2008/07/31/ddn073108sppayneb1.html

[Cincy Muskie]

I read Jody Demling's blog in the Louisville Courier Journal and if you never have you owe it to yourself. I mention it here because in his latest blog he mentioned AP with schools such as X, UC, tOSU, UK and UL. No mention of UD. He did a great job covering all the action in Las Vegas last week. Of course his angle is usually UL, UK, and IU but you can pick up other great recruiting information absolutely free of charge.

[LyonsIsFlyin]

AP was at the game again this afternoon, rivals is saying its still wide open, people still think we won't land him? Not saying he will, but he seems to be taking a long look at us, and Miller did shake his hand, something I haven't seen from him.

[AdamtheFlyer]

Payne hasn't officially ruled anyone out. He's been to several UD games, a few OSU games, an X game, a few UC games, and even a UK game. I've seen Mick Cronin, BG, and representatives from X, UK, and even Florida at the three games of his I've seen.

It's tough to get a real feel for him because he's not talkative, but the general feel among those in the high school scene is that it's UD, OSU, UC, and UK in his top 4 with Florida and Xavier still somewhat in the mix. Nothing would really surprise me, but at this point the smart money is on either UD or OSU. Depending on the OSU scholarship allotment (they've already overrecruited for 2010 without Payne's verbal) UD would appear to be the slight front runner on the surface.

[LyonsIsFlyin]

Not looking to get into a back and forth but I haven't heard anyone has any inkling of an idea who is in the lead. Every recruiting site I've read maybe has UK starting to get a lead along with OSU being 2.

I just noticed him again at the game and the staff seemed to be paying most attention to him, and his companion was the only one to go in the back at half with the recruits, all really small stuff, but it at least showed me we still have high hopes on landing him. Once again not saying I know anything special or saying I'll believe we'll get him, just dreaming of what could be with him.

[AdamtheFlyer]

Well, I get info from people I know in the high school game around Dayton. They're generally on point with stuff like this. Some people have him texting Staten a ton, his "handlers" mentioning OSU and UD more than others, stuff like that. The only first hand info I have is that he routinely does the "Flight Club" salute in games and warmups. Deep investigative stuff on my part.

The All-Ohio Red guys are all so close (Staten, Payne, Siebert, Sullinger, Weatherspoon) that little things can leak out if you know the right people. I have no problem mentioning what I hear, because I don't get paid for doing this. I can guarantee the insiders hear more than what I do, but second hand info isn't something a pay site can run with. I hear more about OSU, UD, and UC in regards to him than the others.

In the end only Payne knows, but I've never been given a reason to believe the people I know are too far from the loop to know a thing or two.

[toledodan]

payne was at the game sunday with his grandmother. he's been to more than one xavier game adam.

[Frambo]

Dan - was that him that Sean stopped to talk to just before the game? There was also a white kid too....any idea who he is?

[kyxu]

payne was at the game sunday with his grandmother. he's been to more than one xavier game adam.

Payne's been to quite a few Xavier games this year. Some with his family, some not.

[Cincy Muskie]

It is hard to read too much into anything that is hearsay obviously. I am with you LyonsisFlyin about the possibilities. It can't be a bad thing he keeps showing up to the games. Hopefully he enjoys the idea of being a part of 20 point home conference game wins, winning in the NCAA tournament, playing against some of the top teams in the country in the non conference year in and year out, and a program that has a proven track record of producing NBA players, particularly big men. I am sure he was aware of the NBA scouts in the building yesterday. But when your shooting for these caliber of recruits your going to 'miss' more than 'hit'.

[LyonsIsFlyin]

Dan - was that him that Sean stopped to talk to just before the game? There was also a white kid too....any idea who he is?

I posted this already in another thread but I saw him shake all fours hands of AP, Gant, J.D Weatherspoon, and Paul Honigford, first time I saw that happen so I got a little excited when I saw him doing that.

[LyonsIsFlyin]

It is hard to read too much into anything that is hearsay obviously. I am with you LyonsisFlyin about the possibilities. It can't be a bad thing he keeps showing up to the games. Hopefully he enjoys the idea of being a part of 20 point home conference game wins, winning in the NCAA tournament, playing against some of the top teams in the country in the non conference year in and year out, and a program that has a proven track record of producing NBA players, particularly big men. I am sure he was aware of the NBA scouts in the building yesterday. But when your shooting for these caliber of recruits your going to 'miss' more than 'hit'.

Well put friend.

The only person I believe on hearsay with recruits is Brian Snow from Rivals, and thats because the hearsay he hears is from the recruits themselves and those who know them best. Brian has said repeatedly AP and co. aren't showing their hand to anyone... anyone. But Snow did say the other day with AP having been to X multiple times now and with family in tow, can only mean he's seriosuly taking a look at our awesome university.

[OX09]

I had the pleasure of meeing Payne when he was on campus last year. He was prety quiet when I met him, but seemed like a nice enough guy.

I only bring this up because now I have three things in common with Coach Miller:
-being a man
-affiliated with X
-and shaking Adriean Payne's hand

...I'm so pleased with myself, yet strangely ashamed...

[xu15]

Can't hurt our chances that we already got JD.

[MADXSTER]

If Payne commits to Xavier, it's over. Completely over. The UD faithful will throw in the perverbial towel.

[Xman95]

If Payne commits, you'll be able to go to the UD board to read threads about how X needs to go to a better conference! (As it is now, we just talk about it here.)

[More Cowbell]

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/high-schools/2009/01/23/ddn012309spjefferson.html

[LyonsIsFlyin]

Q What will be the deciding factors on your college choice?

A I want to go where I can play and feel comfortable, and where I have a good relationship with my coaches and teammates. I'm thinking about majoring in business. I want a school with a good academic program, and a school where I'll be able to reach the next level.

AP all but ruled out UD with this statement.

I've said this earlier, he has shown alot of interest and he keeps saying things that make me believe we got a really good chance of landing him, hope he takes his time and comes to the conclusion that being a Muskie will enable him to accomplish all he wants to.

[bbfan]

Quote from the Dayton Daily News:

"Six things I liked at UD, Sunday
#4 — The sight of Adreian Payne, the 6-foot-10 uncommitted junior from Jefferson High, sitting on one of the leather couches in the middle of the Flyers dressing room and smiling as he took in the scene after the game."
http://www.daytondailynews.com/o/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/throughthearch/entries/2009/01/25/blog_six_things_i_liked_at_ud.html

[xu15]

He must like weak schedules, tight wins against sub-par teams, little to no national attention, and the NIT then. If thats the case, we don't want him. But if he would like the opposite of those things, we would be more than happy to have him at X. He's a great player.

[jakeXU]

He probably just wanted to check out where the Flyer players will be crying when he eventually commits to X and beats them in Dayton every year.

[Dayton Home Boy]

if u really think so ur the man then.

[UnCaged]

if u really think so ur the man then.

WTF? Was this like a rubber/glue comeback? Please Dayton Home Body, come with something a little more interesting than whatever you call that was. The majority of this board went or live with those who went to Dayton. Sooooo, we can read and write above the 3rd grade level you were given at UDump. In fact, go to an Ivy League board and copy and paste something you are unable to understand. I promise it makes more sense than whatever gibberish you choose to post.


Xavier Basketball - Smell the Glove

[waggy]

In addition to a lofty national ranking (NY2LASports (http://ny2lasports.com/PlayerRankings.htm) ranks Payne No. 20 in the Class of 2010), Payne has a lethal physical package that drips with upside. The young interior talent has nice size, big-time length and decent explosion. Add solid court awareness as well as nice instincts, and it’s easy to see why a host of high-major programs are recruiting Payne.

http://slamonline.com/online/college-hs/high-school/high-school-wire/2009/02/major-payne/

[waggy]

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/high-schools/2009/01/23/ddn012309spjefferson.html

I really think Xavier is a great fit for Adreian based on what it appears he's looking for. And to think he would be coming in with JD and Latham - what a class.

[Pete Delkus]

Might have been mentioned...

On Rivals it says that OSU has Archie Miller as the lead recruiter and Sean has James Whitford for X. Always nice to spar agaisnt your Bro!

These have to make for strange situations, not only with AP, but with all recruits. Thad, Archie, Mack, Sean and even Kelsey and Dayton AC Billy Schmidt, who is a Wake grad and I'm sure has some ties.

I can hear a conversation at Final Four week when the coaches get together. "Congrats on XXXXXXXXXX, but if you ever say anything like that agian about our program I'll light you up!"

[Xman95]

Can't imagine tonight's debacle helped our chances.

[DC Muskie]

Can't imagine tonight's debacle helped our chances.

I don't think it makes a difference, really. If that were the case, Chris Wright wouldn't be at Dayton.

[AdamtheFlyer]

The win/loss result won't matter, but the entire night could help tremendously. Payne was in the recruit seats, and was on the floor with Kavanaugh, and another 2010 target Ralph Hill during the postgame presentations. I was close enough to see a big smile on both Payne and Hill's faces, the kids were boarderline jumping up and down as they looked around the arena and soaked in the atmosphere.

[Pete Delkus]

HAAAAAAAAA!

Easy Chris Matthews...Are tingley feelings running up your leg?

This is so telling of the UD program. One win and you describe it like a high school prom queen would describe her Big Night!

"The recruits looked into each others eyes, as red and blue fireworks exploded in their minds"

WoW!

My favorite: "kids were boarderline jumping up and down"

[X-man]

Yeah I'm sure that game sold Payne et al on the greatness of a Flyer program that hasn't danced since before these kids were born. What a bonehead post!

[kyxu]

Yeah I'm sure that game sold Payne et al on the greatness of a Flyer program that hasn't danced since before these kids were born. What a bonehead post!

The thing is, that's unimportant to more recruits than you think. It's all about where they're comfortable.

[AdamtheFlyer]

HAAAAAAAAA!

Easy Chris Matthews...Are tingley feelings running up your leg?

This is so telling of the UD program. One win and you describe it like a high school prom queen would describe her Big Night!

"The recruits looked into each others eyes, as red and blue fireworks exploded in their minds"

WoW!

My favorite: "kids were boarderline jumping up and down"

I wouldn't expect a fan of a program where the coach has to buy the support of the students with pizza to understand a good basketball atmosphere is like.

These recruits don't care who did or didn't go to the dance in 2005.

[MFurey]

I wouldn't expect a fan of a program where the coach has to buy the support of the students with pizza to understand a good basketball atmosphere is like.

These recruits don't care who did or didn't go to the dance in 2005.

Recruits also like teams that are on tv so their family and friends can watch them play. Every Xavier game is on tv one way or another. They may not care who went to the dance in 2005 but to build a successful program you need make the NCAA consistently and do some damage while you're there. UD is a great place to watch a game no doubt, but when a recruit asks who you played, what do they hang their hat on? A neutral court game at Marquette and thats about it. Games against George Mason, Toledo, and the Woffords of the world cant be a huge sell. You usually have to catch a UD game streaming from your computer.

Payne might very well go to UD who knows. He will go where he feels most comfortable. But to say any X fan doesnt know a good basketball atmosphere is ridicolous.

[xu15]

Let him wait to commit to anywhere til after oh, I dont know, March 5th. Xavier will put a hurt on UD that surpasses anything they may have dreamed of doing to us. This kid is good and I want him, JD and JL to eat up the basketball world at X.

[BandAid]

Let him wait to commit to anywhere til after oh, I dont know, March 5th. Xavier will put a hurt on UD that surpasses anything they may have dreamed of doing to us. This kid is good and I want him, JD and JL to eat up the basketball world at X.


Unfortunately the Dayton return game is during Spring Break. The student probably won't be in full force. X got hosed in that regard.

[Cincy Muskie]

The A10 likes to make it hard for the 'flagship' no doubt. Again if AP wants to play in the big dance, be on television most if not ALL the time, and have a chance to play in the NBA he is coming to X. Strong, Williams, Grant, Posey and West all had or having nice NBA careers. Who was the last UD big man to even get a 10 day contract in the 'League'? Also we have a nice business school to boot.

[LyonsIsFlyin]

I wouldn't expect a fan of a program where the coach has to buy the support of the students with pizza to understand a good basketball atmosphere is like.

These recruits don't care who did or didn't go to the dance in 2005.

Ok your right that going to the dance in 05 might not mean too much. But how about, 05 06 07 08? Cause Dayton doesn't have anything on that right? Tool.

[CleXU]

They do care about a program's ability to take and develop talent into NBA players. They also care about the ability of a program to breed success. Unfortunately, UD has not been able to accomplish any of this... Maybe they actually do something this year but so will Xavier as they have done for the last 20 years.

[asmithxc]

I wouldn't expect a fan of a program where the coach has to buy the support of the students with pizza to understand a good basketball atmosphere is like.

These recruits don't care who did or didn't go to the dance in 2005.

hahahahahaha. good point- past success doesn't mean anything to recruits. you are absolutely right.

oh, look at me, i'm a dayton fan, oh i'm wrong! what an idiot!

[AdamtheFlyer]

The A10 likes to make it hard for the 'flagship' no doubt. Again if AP wants to play in the big dance, be on television most if not ALL the time, and have a chance to play in the NBA he is coming to X.

Or he could go to one of two dozen other suitors that do these things as good or better than Xavier.

The kid is the 10th best prospect in his class according to Rivals. He can go to just about any program in the country that he wants to attend. But who are the two programs most consider to be the favorites right now? Ohio State and Dayton. Why is that?

Why did Chris Wright commit to Dayton right after the Flyers completed a 14-17 season? Why did Aric Murray choose LaSalle? Why did Chris Braswell choose Charlotte over X? Why did Michael Beasley choose Kansas State?

Because there are no set guidelines on how to recruit. Just remember, Dante Jackson chose X because of NBA credentials. It's the coach's job to read the kid's mind and sell the crap out of what he is looking for.

[xufan02]

When Kyryl commits after his visit on March 5th it will not matter. Xavier will be out of scholarships for the 2009 and 2010 season, and Payne will no longer be a viable option unless he wants to wait for someone to tranfer out.

[Cincy Muskie]

Adam most players develop while they are at X and improve. It is not simply the NBA but also the ability to play elsewhere for pay. Guys like Myles, Sato, Chalmers, Doellman, Duncan, Burrell and on down the line. Miller developed all those players. How many guys who have been under BG's tutelage have improved to that point? Brian Roberts is the only one I can think of. Raymond has increased his professional earning potential greatly this past season. Has Charles Little? Has London Warren improved that much? Or compare Huelsman's improvement arc compared to Jason Love.

Being realistic I know there are programs out there that have had sustained success for longer periods than we have. Trying to get the Wear twins from Mater Dei just wasn't going to happen. And if you get Payne great, good for UD and the A10. I understand players and families need to make the best decisions for the student athlete. You can also understand why people on an XU board might be pointing out why a kid should choose us over a conference rival. In recruiting your going to miss more than hit.

[JimmyTwoTimes37]

When Kyryl commits after his visit on March 5th it will not matter. Xavier will be out of scholarships for the 2009 and 2010 season, and Payne will no longer be a viable option unless he wants to wait for someone to tranfer out.

I thought we had 1 for 09 and 1 for 10?

[xufan02]

I thought we had 1 for 09 and 1 for 10?

We have one more scholarship between the 2009 and 2010 class. CJ and BJ will graduate this year so that leave two scholarships, one for Parrom and the other one open (Kyryl).

The following year Xavier will say goodbye to Jason Love and Derrick Brown. We currenlty have Columbus Northland product SF JD Weatherspoon, and Baltimore City College PF Jordan Latham taking those two spots.

Unless Jordan Crawford goes pro after one year, Andrew Taylor gives up his scholarship again, or we have a transfer we are out of scholarships until 2011.

[boozehound]

Well, I get info from people I know in the high school game around Dayton. They're generally on point with stuff like this. Some people have him texting Staten a ton, his "handlers" mentioning OSU and UD more than others, stuff like that. The only first hand info I have is that he routinely does the "Flight Club" salute in games and warmups. Deep investigative stuff on my part.

The All-Ohio Red guys are all so close (Staten, Payne, Siebert, Sullinger, Weatherspoon) that little things can leak out if you know the right people. I have no problem mentioning what I hear, because I don't get paid for doing this. I can guarantee the insiders hear more than what I do, but second hand info isn't something a pay site can run with. I hear more about OSU, UD, and UC in regards to him than the others.

In the end only Payne knows, but I've never been given a reason to believe the people I know are too far from the loop to know a thing or two.

Either you are full of crap or you know way too much about a bunch of high school kids.

[MADXSTER]

IMO Payne will end up at Dayton. Just a feeling/hunch.

[kyxu]

IMO Payne will end up at Dayton. Just a feeling/hunch.

I have the same feeling. And we'll be fine.

[Xman95]

Adreian Payne is wide open in his recruitment and not too concerned about it at this point. He did say that West Virginia, Dayton and Xavier are recruiting him the hardest, and he plans to visit Akron in the near future.

That was listed in a rivals article (it's a free one!) talking about the Boo Williams Invitational. Obviously things might change with Miller leaving, but I actually expect X to dial up its recruiting of Payne. With Ivan Drago heading to the desert, Love and Brown gone, 'spoon and Latham no longer committed, etc., there's a need for bigs. In addition, Mack and company will want to make a splash in recruiting to show that the program is still on the rise. A 5-star guy like Payne could mean a lot more than just getting a talented player.

Here's the link to the Rivals BWI article if you want to read it:

Rivals Boo Williams recap (http://xavier.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=934720)

[dc_x]

A report telling everyone that there is nothing new to report - http://www.daytondailynews.com/dayton-sports/high-school-sports/jefferson/jeffersons-payne-drawing-plenty-of-recruiting-interest-88571.html

[Xman95]

Payne prefers a balanced style of offense.

“He’s comfortable getting up and down the floor and he’s comfortable running half-court sets,” Winston said. “What matters now is building a relationship with coaches who are recruiting him. It has to be someone he’s comfortable with.”


Hmmm, didn't a newly selected coach say that he wanted his team, which primarily uses a half-court offense, to run a little more? Doesn't that same coach seem to have pretty good relationships with players? Didn't he also hire an assistant that is supposedly a good recruiter and works well with big men?

Mr. Payne, you should get to know Chris Mack and Bino Ranson. You'll get along great!

[Titanxman04]

A report telling everyone that there is nothing new to report - http://www.daytondailynews.com/dayton-sports/high-school-sports/jefferson/jeffersons-payne-drawing-plenty-of-recruiting-interest-88571.html

Those are my favorite kinds of reports. :D

[Xman95]

There was an article about Payne posted on the Scout site. Decent read, but not a whole lot of new stuff. However, when asked which teams were recruiting him, the first one out of his mouth was Xavier. Sure, that might not mean much, but then again... Here's the quote:

“I guess I’ve got Xavier, Dayton, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Florida, and Ohio State and some others,”


If you're interested in the whole article, here's the link:

A.Payne article (http://ohiostate.scout.com/2/861267.html)

[rjdog2001]

I just got this sent to me from a buddy of mine. I am not sure so accurate the information or how credible this "source" is but the choices seem to be on par with his thoughts on staying relatively close to home....

http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/zips/2009/05/zips-out-of-adreian-payne-sweepstakes/

[xufan02]

This is inaccurate. Payne doesn't even know who he likes.

[DC Muskie]

I wouldn't take it as accurate. Dayton and Xavier are very much in it.

[kyxu]

I wouldn't take it as accurate. Dayton and Xavier are very much in it.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if South Central Arkansas Tech were in it because Payne liked their cafeteria.

It's really going to be interesting to see who he picks...except if it's Dayton.

[xufan02]

I would not be shocked if he ends up Dayton. He is going to be a stud as soon as he realizes how good he can be. Once the light goes on for Payne, look out. As much as this pains me to say, I think he needs a coach that will ride him hard, and Bob Huggins would be that guy.

[AviatorX]

Might not be a popular opinion, but I will say this even if APayne ends up here:

Overrated. Sure all the potential is there, but when I think 5 star, I would like an impact game changing player that can be the final piece to a title run.

[ChrisFarley]

I think it was the Akron newspaper that mentioned Payne's looking solely at Michigan State, Kentucky and Ohio State....I read a blog, but can't remember where it came from...

If anyone knows something else, or can verify this...post your thoughts.. :)

[XU 87]

According to Rivals, the Akron site has no clue what's going on. In short, Xavier is still in the running, along with several other schools.

[Xman95]

I think it was the Akron newspaper that mentioned Payne's looking solely at Michigan State, Kentucky and Ohio State....I read a blog, but can't remember where it came from...

If anyone knows something else, or can verify this...post your thoughts.. :)

There's also a belief in the Akron area that the Zips are a recruiting "rival" of Xavier. Please...

I'm not saying they aren't in on the same player here and there, but "rival" seems to infer that the two programs are on equal footing and have rather spirited recruiting battles.

[xufan02]

Here is more info on Payne.

http://nkysportsworld.blogspot.com/2009/05/xavier-mens-basketball-recruiting.html

[PMI]

I really hope we can bring in Payne, and that article makes me optimistic about that for the first time. Bring the Payne!

[Xman95]

I really hope we can bring in Payne, and that article makes me optimistic about that for the first time. Bring the Payne!

PMI, how about Payne, Latham, Etherington and Weatherspoon (who should be a SF with improved handle and more consistent shot)? That would be a nice class, huh?

While I'm not betting that it will happen, it's definitely within the realm of possibility.

[PMI]

PMI, how about Payne, Latham, Etherington and Weatherspoon (who should be a SF with improved handle and more consistent shot)? That would be a nice class, huh?

While I'm not betting that it will happen, it's definitely within the realm of possibility.

That would be a total dream class. Hell, 3 of 4 of them would be fantastic, then add a PG in '11, possibly Darwin, and we won't miss a beat. Maybe this is totally whack and overly optimistic, but I don't remember hearing that we were ever at the top of Payne's list until now, so maybe the change from Miller to Mack could have been a positive in this particular regard.

[XU99deuce]

Etherington is in the class of 2011.

[Xman95]

Etherington is in the class of 2011.

My bad...meant Spearman. Just read something on Etherington so it must have been stuck in my head.

[Cincy Muskie]

I don't think Payne is real clear on what he wants to do. Location plays in our favor but if that is the case you have to think UD, OSU, UC and us are on equal footing. He has visited OSU a couple of times. I think the staff would be better served to go on an all out blitz to get Latham back in the fold, continue with Weatherspoon and go after Donnie Hale. I think Hale would commit now if they offered and his upside seems to be getting higher with each passing AAU tournament.

I also believe that if they add the unheralded (doesn't mean he won't be any good) prospect from the Baltimore area it would be a sign the DBrown is not coming back.

[XU99deuce]

I don't think Payne is real clear on what he wants to do. Location plays in our favor but if that is the case you have to think UD, OSU, UC and us are on equal footing. He has visited OSU a couple of times. I think the staff would be better served to go on an all out blitz to get Latham back in the fold, continue with Weatherspoon and go after Donnie Hale. I think Hale would commit now if they offered and his upside seems to be getting higher with each passing AAU tournament.

I also believe that if they add the unheralded (doesn't mean he won't be any good) prospect from the Baltimore area it would be a sign the DBrown is not coming back.

Not sure what Jamal O has anything to do with Derek Brown going pro. I think Jamal O is more of a replacement for the fact we lost Parrom, because he is a left handed 6'5"-6'6" SF.

If Payne wants to stay close to home, and you are near his home, you go after the kid regardless of the perceived chances at getting him. I'm sure staff is working their butt off to get Latham back too.

[Cincy Muskie]

deuce,

I think if Brown goes they are going to need the depth. From what I have read about Olaswere he is mainly an inside player. IF he was to replace the loss of Parrom only I think they would bank the scholarship for one of the many targets they have for the 2010 class at the wing position. Don't get me wrong I trust the staff knows what they want in a player and if they think he can fit, great. However I don't think they offer him if they are sure Brown is staying for one more year.

I also am very confident the staff will get Latham back in the fold and things seem to be a two dog race for Weatherspoon. I miss the hype on Payne sometimes because he seems to be disinterested at times and somewhat aloof. Great if we get him but I think it will remain a longshot.

[XU99deuce]

deuce,

I think if Brown goes they are going to need the depth. From what I have read about Olaswere he is mainly an inside player. IF he was to replace the loss of Parrom only I think they would bank the scholarship for one of the many targets they have for the 2010 class at the wing position. Don't get me wrong I trust the staff knows what they want in a player and if they think he can fit, great. However I don't think they offer him if they are sure Brown is staying for one more year.

I also am very confident the staff will get Latham back in the fold and things seem to be a two dog race for Weatherspoon. I miss the hype on Payne sometimes because he seems to be disinterested at times and somewhat aloof. Great if we get him but I think it will remain a longshot.

I know that's what Mr Snow has said about Jamal O - that he's not sure we'd be recruiting him if DBrown was coming back. I guess I can see it a little bit, but to me I'm not sure it makes a whole ton of sense - I mean if the kid is 6'5" 6'6" 200 pounds, how is going to play extended minutes at PF? I guess I can see him playing the kind of minutes that CJ Anderson played at PF - which wasn't very many. I mean there are some top programs that have gotten away with playing a guy that small and thin at the PF, but it seems like a stretch.

[xufan02]

At this point I would bank the scholarship and play Andrew Taylor if Brown goes pro. Taylor has been in our system for 2 seasons and he is as good if not better than Jamal O. Plus Xavier is going to be recruiting over Jamal O's head anyways in the 2010 class, with the likes of Weatherspoon, Canty, and Hale.

[XU99deuce]

At this point I would bank the scholarship and play Andrew Taylor if Brown goes pro. Taylor has been in our system for 2 seasons and he is as good if not better than Jamal O. Plus Xavier is going to be recruiting over Jamal O's head anyways in the 2010 class, with the likes of Weatherspoon, Canty, and Hale.

I hate to say it, but I don't see Taylor being able to contribute. I hope he proves me wrong - he's obviously a good kid. Also - just because a kid doesn't have 4 stars listed to his name doesn't mean he can't play. Our bread and butter in the past has been getting guys under the radar. I don't know much about Jamal O, but if the staff is taking a look at him, he's got to have talent.

[xufan02]

There is a difference between under the radar and not even on the radar. Jamal is a player that for all purposes is not even on the recruiting radar. He is what he is, an insurance policy ala Dupree Lucas if Derrick leaves.

To say Olaswere would earn minutes over a player who has college experience and knows the system, in his third year, is hard to believe. Also we are splitting hairs here, because Mack would run the team where a guy like Taylor or Olaswere would fighting over maybe 5minutes a game at best.

I do not like taking players for the sake of taking players. If Olaswere was good enough he would have a rivals or scout profile, and he would have been mentioned before last week. He has no offers and is a marginal talent that will get lost on the pine once the 2010 class comes in.

[West is Best]

I do not like taking players for the sake of taking players. If Olaswere was good enough he would have a rivals or scout profile, and he would have been mentioned before last week. He has no offers and is a marginal talent that will get lost on the pine once the 2010 class comes in.

The articles I've read suggested that he is a good player, he just needed to act more mature. The articles claim he's grown up in his senior year and become more of a leader. Rivals does a good job, but they've got a limited staff... good players fly under the radar every year. If Mack and company reach a different consensus on the kid's talent, does that mean its automatically a bad decision?

Georgetown is taking a serious look at him and he on the radar of a few other schools. I think he has potential as one of those "chip on the shoulder" type of recruits who can really thrive on adversity. Plus, we don't have anyone that is a true college small forward.

[AviatorX]

Olasaware is a much better talent than Lucas ever was.

[XU99deuce]

There is a difference between under the radar and not even on the radar. Jamal is a player that for all purposes is not even on the recruiting radar. He is what he is, an insurance policy ala Dupree Lucas if Derrick leaves.

To say Olaswere would earn minutes over a player who has college experience and knows the system, in his third year, is hard to believe. Also we are splitting hairs here, because Mack would run the team where a guy like Taylor or Olaswere would fighting over maybe 5minutes a game at best.

I do not like taking players for the sake of taking players. If Olaswere was good enough he would have a rivals or scout profile, and he would have been mentioned before last week. He has no offers and is a marginal talent that will get lost on the pine once the 2010 class comes in.

Haha, if he's good enough, he'll get an offer. If not, he won't. The coaches don't need rivals stars to figure out if he is good enough. I don't know enough about him to make outlandish claims and I'm pretty sure Ranson knows his game better than all of us. What I do know is that I have seen Taylor play - if they bring Jamal O on board he will be brought in to play in front of Taylor (unless he improves astronomically over the offseason). You are also right in that I don't see much PT for this player regardless (taylor or Jamal O) - which gets back to my original point about him not being much of a back up plan if DBrown leaves.

[xufan02]

XU99deuce, I think we are on the same page that if Derrick leaves Taylor and/or Olaswere are not going to be a significant players for us next season.

[ChrisFarley]

:)aught a brief blip that the Big Guy's visiting an SEC school. Rivals only list Florida, Kentucky as two of his choices...so anyone see something about this topic??:)

[ChrisFarley]

Anyone catch this story. A friend told me about Payne might be visiting an SEC school...could be Kentucky or Florida...:)

[bearcat65]

From what I've read Calipari has gotten Kentucky back into the Payne sweepstakes. Chances are that is where he is visiting.

[xunorm]

It is most likely UK given the geographic. Realistically though, he could go to UK and get lost in the shuffle. Payne has to develop a list of priorities for what he wants in a school, and then go from there. It will be the ultimate waiting game

[Juice]

It is most likely UK given the geographic. Realistically though, he could go to UK and get lost in the shuffle. Payne has to develop a list of priorities for what he wants in a school, and then go from there. It will be the ultimate waiting game

That is certainly a possibility with Orton and Cousins going there, but who knows how long those guys stay.

[JimmyTwoTimes37]

That is certainly a possibility with Orton and Cousins going there, but who knows how long those guys stay.

Cousins is already projected 19th in the 2010 NBA draft so barring an injury or just a bad year, he's gonna be a 1 and done.

[bearcat65]

It is most likely UK given the geographic. Realistically though, he could go to UK and get lost in the shuffle. Payne has to develop a list of priorities for what he wants in a school, and then go from there. It will be the ultimate waiting game

I don't think Payne is going to be an instant impact player unless his production skyrockets this summer and next season in high school so it may be better for him to go to a school where he is going to be able to ease into college ball. The only thing I can see that has him ranked where he is would be his potential. He only made special mention on the division IV All Ohio team and his ppg was around 12.5. That doesn't seem like much from a player getting the attention he is. I think he will be a good get for whoever lands him but I think it will take him a year or so once he gets to college.

[toledomuskie]

Jody Demling - Louisville CJ - is reporting on his blog that Payne will be in Lexington this weekend on an unofficial visit.
b
Dayton (Ohio) Jefferson center Adreian Payne has been making several unofficial college visits and will be in Lexington on Saturday.

The 6-foot-10 Payne visited Michigan State last weekend and was on the Ohio State campus on Thursday. He's expected at Kentucky on Saturday.

Payne is the No. 13 player in the Class of 2010, according to Scout.com, and ranks No. 8 by Rivals.com

[Showrunner]

My son is at the Chris Mack basketball camp this week and he informed me that Adreian Payne and his parents were at the Cintas Center today on a visit.

This is the second recruit to visit the camp this week as Jay Canty was there yesterday.

[Cincy Muskie]

Show that is certainly good news to share. Everything I have read about Payne seems to indicate he is WIDE open. I still think were longshots on this one but to have him on campus is a big deal.

[AdamtheFlyer]

It's not that big of a deal. Payne has reportedly taken unofficial visits to Kentucky, WVU, Cincinnati, Dayton (on campus with Wright, Staten and friends on a weekly basis), Xavier (multiple), Ohio State (multiple), Michigan State, Akron...and probably more to come. Bill Self and Roy Williams will visit him personally this summer.

The key is which schools (up to 5) that he takes official visits to. We won't know who's really near the top of his list until that news starts coming out.

[AviatorX]

It's not that big of a deal. Payne has reportedly taken unofficial visits to Kentucky, WVU, Cincinnati, Dayton (on campus with Wright, Staten and friends on a weekly basis), Xavier (multiple), Ohio State (multiple), Michigan State, Akron...and probably more to come. Bill Self and Roy Williams will visit him personally this summer.

The key is which schools (up to 5) that he takes official visits to. We won't know who's really near the top of his list until that news starts coming out.

I heard he's considering an unofficial to Georgia Perimeter College.

Seriously, Payne is allllll over the place.

[Cincy Muskie]

ATF,

To be clear I know this kid is a longshot. But X has plenty to sell. Anytime you get a recruit of his caliber on campus it is a big deal. He would be a great addition to anybody's roster. I am sure Mack told him the last guy from Dayton to come down to Victory Parkway is soon to be playing in the 'league'. Will see how the chips fall. Personally I think X wraps up a couple more Rivals 150 recruits in the coming weeks from the class of '10. Jordan Latham is a great start. You have to assume the staff is going to go after some more frontcourt players (Payne, Hale, Weatherspoon, Martin, Goff) to go along with a wing/backcourt player (Jones, Spearman, Canty) to fill out the last three ships. That is not counting on the possibility of landing a D1 transfer to take one of those spots.

[AdamtheFlyer]

ATF,

To be clear I know this kid is a longshot. But X has plenty to sell. Anytime you get a recruit of his caliber on campus it is a big deal. He would be a great addition to anybody's roster. I am sure Mack told him the last guy from Dayton to come down to Victory Parkway is soon to be playing in the 'league'. Will see how the chips fall. Personally I think X wraps up a couple more Rivals 150 recruits in the coming weeks from the class of '10. Jordan Latham is a great start. You have to assume the staff is going to go after some more frontcourt players (Payne, Hale, Weatherspoon, Martin, Goff) to go along with a wing/backcourt player (Jones, Spearman, Canty) to fill out the last three ships. That is not counting on the possibility of landing a D1 transfer to take one of those spots.

That's true except for the big deal part. It's really not. I have to tell Dayton fans the same thing every time Payne is seen around campus. The kid goes everywhere. We can't be the guy that gets excited when the stripper tells him he's cute. If he takes an official to X in the fall, then its a big deal.

I like what both Dayton and Xavier are doing in the 2010 class. Both schools could have top 15 national classes. If either lands Payne, Spearman or both...wow.

[MuskiePimp23]

That's true except for the big deal part. It's really not. I have to tell Dayton fans the same thing every time Payne is seen around campus. The kid goes everywhere. We can't be the guy that gets excited when the stripper tells him he's cute. If he takes an official to X in the fall, then its a big deal.

I like what both Dayton and Xavier are doing in the 2010 class. Both schools could have top 15 national classes. If either lands Payne, Spearman or both...wow.

I don't care until the player actually commits...Then it is a big deal...I think it is a big deal for ud, because I don't know of ANY other 5 star player that has ever even visited dayton. That is not a knock on ud, they could get there in a couple years, but they don't even get them to visit, unless in Payne's case he is from dayton...X for example for 2010 had or has severe interest from Will Barton, Adreian Payne, Jelan Kendrick, Doron Lamb, Jordan Sibert, to name a few...What X needs to do is get one or two of these guys to commit, then along with other solid Top 150 recruits, we will get to the next level of a Final Four/Title...dayton is still looking to just get some consistent 3 and 4 star guys to start building up their program. Xavier is already at that level and looking to advance beyond.

[kyxu]

I don't care until the player actually commits...Then it is a big deal...I think it is a big deal for ud, because I don't know of ANY other 5 star player that has ever even visited dayton. That is not a knock on ud, they could get there in a couple years, but they don't even get them to visit, unless in Payne's case he is from dayton...X for example for 2010 had or has severe interest from Will Barton, Adreian Payne, Jelan Kendrick, Doron Lamb, Jordan Sibert, to name a few...What X needs to do is get one or two of these guys to commit, then along with other solid Top 150 recruits, we will get to the next level of a Final Four/Title...dayton is still looking to just get some consistent 3 and 4 star guys to start building up their program. Xavier is already at that level and looking to advance beyond.

Considering that two out of these five players are going elsewhere, I'd put Xavier's chances of landing "one or two" of these players somewhere between 0 and 0.5%

[MuskiePimp23]

Considering that two out of these five players are going elsewhere, I'd put Xavier's chances of landing "one or two" of these players somewhere between 0 and 0.5%

I honestly don't think Xavier will land ANY of these players, so your %'s are something I agree with...I believe if the coaching staff did not change, we would have had a much better shot for example with Barton and Payne. All I am saying is one thing Millers staff did do is have several 5 star type guys considering Xavier strongly and I was using these guys as some examples...I think Lamb would have had a real good probability of committing to X had Miller and Book stayed. It will take the new staff some time to build the relationships, but I still think our 2010 recruiting class will be our best ever when it is all said and done.

[therick44]

With Payne... Honestly it is a complete crapshoot noone knows what he is going to do because he doesn't know what he is going to do, however he is not a good fit for X in my opinion. I wouldn't be that excited to get him anyways.

Out of those listed I don't see any of those coming to X, but I have been hearing that Jay Canty from CP3 All-Stars is seriously considering X. Jay would be a huge get for X.

[SixFig]

Our recruiting has changed from NY/NE/PA/NJ guys to GA/IN/VA/MD/DC guys.

I'd say we have a good shot at Oladipo, Weatherspoon, Canty, Jamail Jones, Justin Martin, and Hale.

Pick 2 of these guys and we're talking a borderline top 25 2010 class and a great start to the Mack dynasty.

[JimmyTwoTimes37]

XU and UD are both longshots to land Payne

[ChrisFarley]

ATF,

To be clear I know this kid is a longshot. But X has plenty to sell. Anytime you get a recruit of his caliber on campus it is a big deal. He would be a great addition to anybody's roster. I am sure Mack told him the last guy from Dayton to come down to Victory Parkway is soon to be playing in the 'league'. Will see how the chips fall. Personally I think X wraps up a couple more Rivals 150 recruits in the coming weeks from the class of '10. Jordan Latham is a great start. You have to assume the staff is going to go after some more frontcourt players (Payne, Hale, Weatherspoon, Martin, Goff) to go along with a wing/backcourt player (Jones, Spearman, Canty) to fill out the last three ships. That is not counting on the possibility of landing a D1 transfer to take one of those spots.

you're right Payne is a longshot for XU's program...they never get the marquee players..Payne will go to UK, MSU or the big BCS programs...but XU's always fine with the projects or under radar guys...Brian Grant, D West, Aaron Williams, Derrick Brown all were well out of eye in their senior year in HS...

[kyxu]

you're right Payne is a longshot for XU's program...they never get the marquee players..Payne will go to UK, MSU or the big BCS programs...but XU's always fine with the projects or under radar guys...Brian Grant, D West, Aaron Williams, Derrick Brown all were well out of eye in their senior year in HS...

not Derrick Brown, but I get your point...

[ChrisFarley]

not Derrick Brown, but I get your point...

Actually, Chris said on radio the other night, Derrick kind of came out of nowhere in the recruiting thing...

[AviatorX]

Actually, Chris said on radio the other night, Derrick kind of came out of nowhere in the recruiting thing...

Uhhhh no he didn't. He was a top 150 player with offers from Michigan St., Wake Forest, and NC State.

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=28669&Sport=2

[kyxu]

Actually, Chris said on radio the other night, Derrick kind of came out of nowhere in the recruiting thing...

I believe he meant that Brown sort of "blew up" in his last couple years of high school and onto the national recruiting scene, but Derrick Brown was definitely not a lightly recruited prospect.

[Cincy Muskie]

Farley; X gets plenty of 'high major' players to come through our program. I don't rely on high school recruiting rankings to tell me that. I see what they do here in their four years and then if they continue to play for pay. Not only the NBA but Italy, Spain, China, Israel ect. And Xavier has guys all over the globe. Read some information today that tells me X has as good as shot with Payne as anybody else does at the moment.

[therick44]

Farley; X gets plenty of 'high major' players to come through our program. I don't rely on high school recruiting rankings to tell me that. I see what they do here in their four years and then if they continue to play for pay. Not only the NBA but Italy, Spain, China, Israel ect. And Xavier has guys all over the globe. Read some information today that tells me X has as good as shot with Payne as anybody else does at the moment.

He does... You can look at it any way you want. Either they don't have a good shot because no one knows where he will go, or they have as good of a shot as anyone else. He literally does not know where he is going.

[principal]

you're right Payne is a longshot for XU's program...they never get the marquee players..Payne will go to UK, MSU or the big BCS programs...but XU's always fine with the projects or under radar guys...Brian Grant, D West, Aaron Williams, Derrick Brown all were well out of eye in their senior year in HS...

Are you an X fan? Most people here would say "we never get the marquee players." I do agree though, while the recruiting seems to be on the rise, WE are not getting the top guys, at least not yet.

[ChrisFarley]

Are you an X fan? Most people here would say "we never get the marquee players." I do agree though, while the recruiting seems to be on the rise, WE are not getting the top guys, at least not yet.



Who really cares if a 4 or 5 star recruit comes to XU.
XU does'nt need the All-Universe players .I'd imagine if some/most of you have watched the team over the last ten years you'd see a pattern of growth with the players, who go on and win league championships, and get to the tourney. I worked for Bob Staak @ XU and he brought in a more talented athlete to the program, but they really were not All Universe at all. Dex Bailey and Anthony Hicks were his most publicized recruits. He coached them and developed them.
And XU's been doing it that way for 30 years now.

[sweet16]

Who really cares if a 4 or 5 star recruit comes to XU.
XU does'nt need the All-Universe players .I'd imagine if some/most of you have watched the team over the last ten years you'd see a pattern of growth with the players, who go on and win league championships, and get to the tourney. I worked for Bob Staak @ XU and he brought in a more talented athlete to the program, but they really were not All Universe at all. Dex Bailey and Anthony Hicks were his most publicized recruits. He coached them and developed them.
And XU's been doing it that way for 30 years now.

In what capacity did you work for Bob Staak at XU?

[dto]

Nice notes on Payne toward the bottom of the article:

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=963420

My guess is that he's a longshot for us, but it sure would be nice to grab him out of Big East, Big Ten, or Pac-10 hands.

[therick44]

Nice notes on Payne toward the bottom of the article:

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=963420

My guess is that he's a longshot for us, but it sure would be nice to grab him out of Big East, Big Ten, or Pac-10 hands.

He's now saying that he has a list of 8 but he's not telling who the list is... hahah.

However, he did say no Ohio schools were on that list... Until he was later specifically asked about Ohio State to which he said he's considering them still but they are down on his list.

[therick44]

you're right Payne is a longshot for XU's program...they never get the marquee players..Payne will go to UK, MSU or the big BCS programs...but XU's always fine with the projects or under radar guys...Brian Grant, D West, Aaron Williams, Derrick Brown all were well out of eye in their senior year in HS...

You don't get more of a project than AP.

The tools are there but he's not even close to being ready to come in and dominate college basketball like many seem to think.

[dto]

He's now saying that he has a list of 8 but he's not telling who the list is... hahah.

However, he did say no Ohio schools were on that list... Until he was later specifically asked about Ohio State to which he said he's considering them still but they are down on his list.

Doesn't sound like the brightest bulb in the bunch to me ;)

[therick44]

Doesn't sound like the brightest bulb in the bunch to me ;)

AP is something else that's for sure... and I'll leave it at that.;)

[toledomuskie]

This is from Jody Demlings Blog in the courierjournal.


One thing about a player not here in Las Vegas - Adreian Payne. The Dayton Daily News reports the Flyers are out of the race for the Dayton Jefferson big man. Kentucky, Kansas, Arizona, Michigan State and West Virginia are on his list of five schools.

[kyxu]

This is from Jody Demlings Blig in the courierjournal.


One thing about a player not here in Las Vegas - Adreian Payne. The Dayton Daily News reports the Flyers are out of the race for the Dayton Jefferson big man. Kentucky, Kansas, Arizona, Michigan State and West Virginia are on his list of five schools.

Dayton fans will never believe this. Even when Payne signs his LOI with West Virginia or UK or Michigan State, they'll still think it's a big prank and Payne will really be signing with UD.

[AviatorX]

That list is wrong. He's still going to Dayton.

[JimmyTwoTimes37]

Couple things i've read from UD fans.

"By not choosing Dayton, he will miss being part of a Top Ten team, yet he will probably be on a Top Ten team wherever he is going."

"Until AP tells BG that we are out of it, it isn't over. It ain't over till it's over... "

"I would actually like to hear the list straight from AP's mouth. "

"Good riddance..Glad to see this overrated athlete not going to UD."

"Another thought is he looked at the skill level of Benson and Kavanaugh and realized he wouldn't be getting a lot of playing time at first. They are both fast becoming physical beasts and likely would dominate AP the first year or two until he could put on weight. We know from scouting reports that heavier centers give AP trouble right now. Kavanaugh and Benson are beefier at this point."

YET this same person replies in the same post

"It would appear from the school list -- and this is just conjecture, of course, like everything else -- that AP is probably hoping for a "one and done" SO his implication is that Kavanaugh and Benson are one and done's as well since Payne would not see any playing time...

[AviatorX]

Couple things i've read from UD fans.

"By not choosing Dayton, he will miss being part of a Top Ten team, yet he will probably be on a Top Ten team wherever he is going."

"Until AP tells BG that we are out of it, it isn't over. It ain't over till it's over... "

"I would actually like to hear the list straight from AP's mouth. "

"Good riddance..Glad to see this overrated athlete not going to UD."

"Another thought is he looked at the skill level of Benson and Kavanaugh and realized he wouldn't be getting a lot of playing time at first. They are both fast becoming physical beasts and likely would dominate AP the first year or two until he could put on weight. We know from scouting reports that heavier centers give AP trouble right now. Kavanaugh and Benson are beefier at this point."

YET this same person replies in the same post

"It would appear from the school list -- and this is just conjecture, of course, like everything else -- that AP is probably hoping for a "one and done" SO his implication is that Kavanaugh and Benson are one and done's as well since Payne would not see any playing time...

Classic stuff. I'm sure Payne (or "AP" for all Dayton fans who use players initials to the extreme) is extremely worried about the talent level of the incoming BWS in Kavanaugh and the (un)proven greatness that is Josh Benson, that's obviously why he isn't coming to Dayton.

[bobbiemcgee]

seems pretty official he will not be playing here or for the watermelons:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/daytonflyers/entries/2009/07/24/payne_plans_to_head_out_of_sta.html

[AviatorX]

“You never know. He’s a teenager. It’s these five schools this week. In another week, it could be (a different) five. Right now, he’s in Orlando playing in an AAU tournament. When he comes back, it might be different.”

This should provide some false hope for UD posters.

[xu15]

Couple things i've read from UD fans.

"By not choosing Dayton, he will miss being part of a Top Ten team, yet he will probably be on a Top Ten team wherever he is going."

"Until AP tells BG that we are out of it, it isn't over. It ain't over till it's over... "

"I would actually like to hear the list straight from AP's mouth. "

"Good riddance..Glad to see this overrated athlete not going to UD."

"Another thought is he looked at the skill level of Benson and Kavanaugh and realized he wouldn't be getting a lot of playing time at first. They are both fast becoming physical beasts and likely would dominate AP the first year or two until he could put on weight. We know from scouting reports that heavier centers give AP trouble right now. Kavanaugh and Benson are beefier at this point."

YET this same person replies in the same post

"It would appear from the school list -- and this is just conjecture, of course, like everything else -- that AP is probably hoping for a "one and done" SO his implication is that Kavanaugh and Benson are one and done's as well since Payne would not see any playing time...


This is absolutely hilarious. And a top 10 team?.......hahahahaha. Its Dayton, I mean seriously

[bobbiemcgee]

They're still hoping for D Brown to re-commit.

[LutherRackleyRulez]

Per Jody Demling.....

Louisville C-J......


Now, how about Adreian Payne? The Dayton, Ohio, center has been the subject of a lot of attention this week talking about perhaps a commitment to Kentucky? There has been a lot of behind-the-scenes chatter regarding the 6-foot-10 Payne and here's what I can share. Payne has narrowed his list to five schools and UK has made a major play for his services. Many folks actually believe it's down to a pair of schools. But he's a kid that is shy and sometimes very hard to read when talking to him about the whole college recruiting process. I think UK has put themselves into a good position, but I don't expect a commitment anytime really soon. Trust me, West Virginia is the other school that is right there and Bob Huggins has put a lot of time into this and is not going down without a major battle. It should be fun to see it play out.




The Godfather v. Chuggins.....

who do U got???

[AdamtheFlyer]

West Virginia.

[waggy]

If the kid is smart he'll go to Kentucky. Of course if he were really smart he'd already be at X.

[jco17]

Supposed to be choosing between Arizona, Kansas, WV, MSU, and UK. Kentucky thinks he is in the bag fwiw.

[boozehound]

That is still a pretty big list of schools, particularly this late in the game.

[Masterofreality]

Payne was in Arizona last weekend for an official visit.

Good bye Cryers.

[Juice]

Payne was in Arizona last weekend for an official visit.

Good bye Cryers.

This would be the only time I would want something good to happen for Sean and Arizona. I would laugh so hard.

[jco17]

AP was in Tucson over the weekend with his grandmother. His recruitment is very quiet to say the least. Usually you can get some kind of feel for where a kid is leaning this late in the process, but he isn't saying anything to the media that gives anything away. We're being told that we have as good a shot as WV, UK, MSU, and Kansas. Isn't that helpful?

[Cincy Muskie]

I agree he has been a hard read. Anyone even sure if he is going to sign in the fall period?

[jco17]

I agree he has been a hard read. Anyone even sure if he is going to sign in the fall period?

Nope. I know he will take all of his visits, so my guess would be no, but he hasn't given a definitive answer as to when he will sign.

[Jumpy]

What ever happened to Adrien being extremely introverted and wanting to stay home for college ball? Isn't that the reason that Dayton thought they had him tied up?

[jco17]

What ever happened to Adrien being extremely introverted and wanting to stay home for college ball? Isn't that the reason that Dayton thought they had him tied up?

Initially that was the story. Some thought Ohio State was gonna end up with him, but most were shocked when he eliminated all of the in state schools. It's so hard to get a feeling for where this kid stands. He's going through the process so quietly. I honestly don't remember following a recruitment this quiet in the 5 years that I've been following recruiting very closely.

[jco17]

What ever happened to Adrien being extremely introverted and wanting to stay home for college ball? Isn't that the reason that Dayton thought they had him tied up?

Only dayton fans thought he was headed to Dayton. A player like AP doesn't go to Dayton. Payne could literally go anywhere he wanted to. If you had the choice of any school, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say it wouldn't be Dayton. I know you guys hate Dayton because it is your rival, but I don't even have a dog in the fight, and he was never headed to Dayton.

[gladdenguy]

Only dayton fans thought he was headed to Dayton. A player like AP doesn't go to Dayton. Payne could literally go anywhere he wanted to. If you had the choice of any school, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say it wouldn't be Dayton. I know you guys hate Dayton because it is your rival, but I don't even have a dog in the fight, and he was never headed to Dayton.

Don't think he would ever go to Arizona either if thats what you're implying.
For that many posts on a different board, you must have some kind of infatuation with Xavier or you just have no life whatsoever. Take raccoon face and stuff him up your ass and still fail when you try to beat UCLA.

[PM Thor]

Dude, Gladden, was that really necessary? The guy wasn't being antagonistic at all, in my opinion.

I HATE dayton.

[kyxu]

Payne was in Arizona last weekend for an official visit.

Good bye Cryers.

I think UD was out of the picture for Payne about two months ago...along with Xavier and Ohio State.

I'm still pretty interested to see where he ends up. If it was Zona, I wouldn't be all that surprised.

[jco17]

Don't think he would ever go to Arizona either if thats what you're implying.
For that many posts on a different board, you must have some kind of infatuation with Xavier or you just have no life whatsoever. Take raccoon face and stuff him up your ass and still fail when you try to beat UCLA.

Wow, I'm actually a student that does a ton of work at home while working on my degree and I like to look in on Xavier to see how things are going when I need a break from school work. I live in Pennsylvania now and would like to catch some Xavier games this year if possible. We actually beat UCLA last year and it was kind of an ass beating. It's not really a put down losing to a team that made three straight final fours. Not sure why you are so pissed off at what I said unless you are a Dayton fan.

[Xman95]

Wow, I'm actually a student that does a ton of work at home while working on my degree and I like to look in on Xavier to see how things are going when I need a break from school work. I live in Pennsylvania now and would like to catch some Xavier games this year if possible. We actually beat UCLA last year and it was kind of an ass beating. It's not really a put down losing to a team that made three straight final fours. Not sure why you are so pissed off at what I said unless you are a Dayton fan.

Not to mention we got throttled by UCLA in the tourney a couple years ago!

It should be pointed out that Gladdenguy carries around a whole lot of Miller-hate (and, personally, I can't blame him). Anyone on the board that's pro-AZ is starting off with a few marks already in the "negative" column with him (can't really blame him there either). We have also had our share of douchers from other schools/boards so it might take a little while before you earn the respect of veteran posters (again...).

Honestly, I'm not 100% sold yet either...but knocking UD down a peg didn't hurt!

[jco17]

Not to mention we got throttled by UCLA in the tourney a couple years ago!

It should be pointed out that Gladdenguy carries around a whole lot of Miller-hate (and, personally, I can't blame him). Anyone on the board that's pro-AZ is starting off with a few marks already in the "negative" column with him (can't really blame him there either). We have also had our share of douchers from other schools/boards so it might take a little while before you earn the respect of veteran posters (again...).

Honestly, I'm not 100% sold yet either...but knocking UD down a peg didn't hurt!

I understand who he is angry at, but I'm honestly not on here to piss anybody off. I don't blame him for being angry, I just don't think he needs to be hostile towards me because he's mad at somebody else. I'd understand if I came on here, offered zero information about anything, and put down Xavier for no reason at all. However, I do my best at all times, to remain respectful.

[boozehound]

Only dayton fans thought he was headed to Dayton. A player like AP doesn't go to Dayton. Payne could literally go anywhere he wanted to. If you had the choice of any school, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say it wouldn't be Dayton. I know you guys hate Dayton because it is your rival, but I don't even have a dog in the fight, and he was never headed to Dayton.

I still think that he goes to UK or WVU so that his grandmother can see him play without getting on a plane. Who knows though? I could be dead wrong.

This kid is either very indecisive or is milking the recruiting process for all it is worth.

[xu95]

I still think that he goes to UK or WVU so that his grandmother can see him play without getting on a plane. Who knows though? I could be dead wrong.

This kid is either very indecisive or is milking the recruiting process for all it is worth.

I think he is both.

xu95

[Lamont Sanford]

I still say that Payne ends up in Morgantown with tHuggyBear.

BTW - - Gladdenguy is a great American!

[gladdenguy]

Wow, I'm actually a student that does a ton of work at home while working on my degree and I like to look in on Xavier to see how things are going when I need a break from school work. .

I would take less breaks from your school work and worry about Arizona and IF they will ever go to the Final four again.
Sorry to say, but I think Xavier will get there before Arizona. Times have changed since Tute Olsen and his glory days.

[jco17]

I still say that Payne ends up in Morgantown with tHuggyBear.

BTW - - Gladdenguy is a great American!

What do you mean by this?

[jco17]

I would take less breaks from your school work and worry about Arizona and IF they will ever go to the Final four again.
Sorry to say, but I think Xavier will get there before Arizona. Times have changed since Tute Olsen and his glory days.

Tute Olsen? Why would you even make a comment like that? Does it make you feel better to down Lute? I've been on this site since April and I've posted less than 80 times and I haven't been making ignorant comments like this one about Xavier. It's also not up to you whether I decide to join a site and post.

[LyonsIsFlyin]

Tute Olsen? Why would you even make a comment like that? Does it make you feel better to down Lute? I've been on this site since April and I've posted less than 80 times and I haven't been making ignorant comments like this one about Xavier. It's also not up to you whether I decide to join a site and post.

Haha you're really just gonna have to let Gladdenguy be Gladdenguy, you will not win with him since you have openly declared alligence with $ean, it is what it is.

That aside though, like previously stated, I would be shocked if AP made Az his choice. I still have my money on thuggins gettin the commitment, he seems to be able to sell Morgantown very successfully, which is beyond me.

[jco17]

Haha you're really just gonna have to let Gladdenguy be Gladdenguy, you will not win with him since you have openly declared alligence with $ean, it is what it is.

That aside though, like previously stated, I would be shocked if AP made Az his choice. I still have my money on thuggins gettin the commitment, he seems to be able to sell Morgantown very successfully, which is beyond me.

I agree that Arizona is the longshot. UK fans really seem to think they have him wrapped up though. If that is how gladdenguy is then I will just let it go. I try to get along with everybody. Did he serve? I was curious as to why somebody on here said he was a great American. I'm a former Marine and served in Afghanistan and a ton of other places.

[Lamont Sanford]

jco -

If you are a former Marine, thank you for your service to our great country!

However, $ean Miller still $uck$.

[jco17]

jco -

If you are a former Marine, thank you for your service to our great country!

However, $ean Miller still $uck$.

Thank you for saying that, much appreciated.

[Cincy Muskie]

In the end I think Payne wants to be able to have his grandmother watch him play a few games each year. Lexington and Morgantown obviously are a little closer to Dayton. I think it comes down to those two.

In regards to Lute: he is a legend. It remains to be seen if the program continues on the same level without him.

Also I wouldn't think Sean will be out there forever. I have read on the pay sites that Maryland would be very attractive to Miller. NC State as well. I think those programs have just as much prestige as 'Zona and will pay for a great coach. Now he maybe there 5-6 years depending on scenarios but Miller will continue to work his way up the coaching ladder. Also if you live east of the Mississippi you can't catch alot of PAC 10 hoops.

jco just curious: how many games does 'Zona have on television this season? I would assume all but I am not sure what the PAC 10 television agreements are.

[XU 87]

Also I wouldn't think Sean will be out there forever. I have read on the pay sites that Maryland would be very attractive to Miller. NC State as well. I think those programs have just as much prestige as 'Zona and will pay for a great coach.



I've never heard about Maryland but I have heard that he and his wife really like the state of North Carolina (he was an assistant at NC State for about 4 years). I'm just not sure why he would ever leave Zona for NC State. It's the 4th best program in the state and is a step down from Zona. If Herb Sendek left NC State to go to the second best program in Arizona, I just can't see Miller leaving to go to NC State.

Now if UNC or Duke ever opened up.........

[jco17]

In the end I think Payne wants to be able to have his grandmother watch him play a few games each year. Lexington and Morgantown obviously are a little closer to Dayton. I think it comes down to those two.

In regards to Lute: he is a legend. It remains to be seen if the program continues on the same level without him.

Also I wouldn't think Sean will be out there forever. I have read on the pay sites that Maryland would be very attractive to Miller. NC State as well. I think those programs have just as much prestige as 'Zona and will pay for a great coach. Now he maybe there 5-6 years depending on scenarios but Miller will continue to work his way up the coaching ladder. Also if you live east of the Mississippi you can't catch alot of PAC 10 hoops.

jco just curious: how many games does 'Zona have on television this season? I would assume all but I am not sure what the PAC 10 television agreements are.

It's very easy to watch almost every single game if you have the Fox Sportsnet Package. I have no idea how long Miller will be our head coach. I hope until he retires, but I understand he may leave for another job. Everybody said Lute Olson was gonna leave Arizona for Kentucky and he actually turned the job down. Arizona wasn't the best job when Lute came to Tucson, but he made it a great job. I think if Sean stays 5-6 years it will be a much, much better job to take than it was when he took it and that is okay with me.

[Cincy Muskie]

87,

BSnow on rivals feels Sean would be VERY INTERESTED in any ACC job and he mentioned Maryland specifically. Take it FWIW.

[jco17]

87,

BSnow on rivals feels Sean would be VERY INTERESTED in any ACC job and he mentioned Maryland specifically. Take it FWIW.

Brian's usually really good with his info. I don't think he would leave for NC State, but Maryland should be opening up pretty soon with Gary Williams getting up there in age, so I guess we'll find out soon enough. That would suck, but I'm sure it's possible.

[SixFig]

Brian's usually really good with his info. I don't think he would leave for NC State, but Maryland should be opening up pretty soon with Gary Williams getting up there in age, so I guess we'll find out soon enough. That would suck, but I'm sure it's possible.

I would laugh a little. I'm know Arizona has great fans. So do we. But we who invest our dreams, our love, and our tears are all pawns to these coaches fancy.

[jco17]

I would laugh a little. I'm know Arizona has great fans. So do we. But we who invest our dreams, our love, and our tears are all pawns to these coaches fancy.

I guess it would be a little funny, in a good way for you guys and in a bad way for us. That would definately sting, but we'd find a way to get back to where we want to be, it would just take longer. Hopefully, he would leave us with a good nucleus of talent before he left so it would be easier to find a new coach. He's our 4th coach in as many season's and it would be tough to go for five any time soon.

[West is Best]

http://blogs.dailymail.com/wvu/2009/10/17/a-night-when-wvu-tried-to-avoid-ncaa-violations/

Payne was at WVU's midnight madness... that's got to be a pretty big indicator of his interest in the school.

Check out some of the signs the students made... really impressive. XU students may want to take note.

[Masterofreality]

Holy crap. This is becoming the Adrien Payne world tour.

Kiss would be jealous.

[xudash]

http://blogs.dailymail.com/wvu/2009/10/17/a-night-when-wvu-tried-to-avoid-ncaa-violations/

Payne was at WVU's midnight madness... that's got to be a pretty big indicator of his interest in the school.

Check out some of the signs the students made... really impressive. XU students may want to take note.

WiB, did you scroll down?

What was very interesting from your post was the other schools bringing up the numerous recruiting violations WVU incurred. Example: you can't have students wearing promotional t-shirts to official visit functions such as Midnight Madness, wherein they're begging Payne to come to WVU.

This could now get ugly for the 'neers.

[STL_XUfan]

WiB, did you scroll down?

What was very interesting from your post was the other schools bringing up the numerous recruiting violations WVU incurred. Example: you can't have students wearing promotional t-shirts to official visit functions such as Midnight Madness, wherein they're begging Payne to come to WVU.

This could now get ugly for the 'neers.

it will be interesting to see what the school does with those accusations. The school can't advertise or promote that a recruit is on campus. However, if everyone brings signs and t shirts on their own with no assistance from the athletic department the school is under no requirement to censor their signs.

They just need to make sure it doesn't come out that they told anyone he was coming, or provided any funding for those shirts and signs.

[wkrq59]

If Xavier is out of the picture as has been posted before this, why do we care? :D:D

[AdamtheFlyer]

The only potential violation mentioned in that blog is the player directly pointing at Payne. Evidently he didn't say anything so it's really not a big deal, but he definitely brought attention to Payne. My guess is that WVU self-reported it and the NCAA will just warn them. It's a gray area, because pointing isn't defined in the rule.

The shirts aren't against any rules provided they weren't sold or given out by any university entity. The NCAA can't what people print or sell on their own.

[xu95]

How would wearing shirts be any different than our student section shouting a recruits name in a chant.

For the record, I hear that Payne is a VERY heavy lean to Dayton. he is just trying to throw everyone off by going to these other schools.

xu95

[Xman95]

Well, it looks like a player and a university mascot are holding the signs. The defense will be that they were either just picking them up or taking them from rowdy students, but I highly doubt that.

Also, it seems like there were quite a few high quality signs at the event. I don't think those weren't just a couple of students getting together to make those. I would guess that the university/athletic dept./Huggins had something to do with it. Wouldn't be the first time Chuggy saw a rule he didn't want to break.

All that being said, those were definitely impressive images and A.P. had to enjoy the festivities. Could be the kind of thing that puts a program over the top. I wonder if Thuggins celebrated later that evening by puking in a Lexus.

[AdamtheFlyer]

For the record, I hear that Payne is a VERY heavy lean to Dayton. he is just trying to throw everyone off by going to these other schools.

xu95

I don't think that's true. There is talk flying around that Payne still has some real interest in UD, but Dayton just filled the last available scholarship this week with the verbal from Devin Oliver out of Michigan. AP still hangs out on campus and BG is still recruiting him pretty hard. Anything is possible, but it's safe to say Payne is far from a heavy UD lean at this point. Maybe your people hear things mine don't, but I've heard no evidence to back that up.

Now that's not to say a scholarship won't still open up for next year, because if Chris Wright has the year most think he will, he's gone. And there is apparently an understanding with Oliver that he would redshirt as a walkon his first year if AP does come and Wright stays. There's actually a reasonable chance Oliver redshirts regardless. He is a late bloomer and at the same time it would balance the classes a little better if he didn't start his eligibility until 2011.

[sash19]

Adam:

I know there is always hope until he signs but like you said, it isnt going to happen. There is a better chance of Brandin Knight or Harrison Barnes coming to X than Adrien going to Dayton...That ship has sailed for all of us not named Arizona, UK and WVU. I hope he goes to Arizona as I can not stand UK or Chuggy's boys at WVU.....

[West is Best]

If Xavier is out of the picture as has been posted before this, why do we care? :D:D

I think it shows that recruiting for top 25 (5 star) players can be very different than other top players. The kids are much more well known and the process drags out a bit. At some point we're going to be involved in circus like this... here's hoping we win.

[xu95]

I don't think that's true. There is talk flying around that Payne still has some real interest in UD, but Dayton just filled the last available scholarship this week with the verbal from Devin Oliver out of Michigan. AP still hangs out on campus and BG is still recruiting him pretty hard. Anything is possible, but it's safe to say Payne is far from a heavy UD lean at this point. Maybe your people hear things mine don't, but I've heard no evidence to back that up.

Now that's not to say a scholarship won't still open up for next year, because if Chris Wright has the year most think he will, he's gone. And there is apparently an understanding with Oliver that he would redshirt as a walkon his first year if AP does come and Wright stays. There's actually a reasonable chance Oliver redshirts regardless. He is a late bloomer and at the same time it would balance the classes a little better if he didn't start his eligibility until 2011.

I'm not sure if you were running with what I said or if you were just giving it back to me. It is hard to tell on the internet. Anyhow, Dayton has no chance. I was just making fun of the Dayton fans who even after he posted his narrowed list of schools couldn't believe he didn't want to go to Dayton and assumed it was all a plot to keep the man down.

xu95

[AdamtheFlyer]

I'm not sure if you were running with what I said or if you were just giving it back to me. It is hard to tell on the internet. Anyhow, Dayton has no chance. I was just making fun of the Dayton fans who even after he posted his narrowed list of schools couldn't believe he didn't want to go to Dayton and assumed it was all a plot to keep the man down.

xu95

Missed your sarcasm. We're on the same page, especially when it comes to those UD fans. The simple truth is that he likes UD, but likes a few other places better. I don't know why that's so hard for people to understand.

[bobbiemcgee]

http://www.courier-journal.com/recruiting

[AdamtheFlyer]

The momentum of inside talk and rumor mongering says Michigan State.

[danaandvictory]

The momentum of inside talk and rumor mongering says Michigan State.

Not a bad place to land. Best coach in America and a fanbase that's generally less obsessive/moronic than UK's.

[AdamtheFlyer]

It's official, he's going to MSU. Really think he made the right call. He could get lost at UK, and the freakshow that is the rednecks in West Virginia does not mesh with his personality. He can be a little more anonymous at MSU (as much as a 5 star recruit can be) and be allowed to develop.

[jco17]

It's official, he's going to MSU. Really think he made the right call. He could get lost at UK, and the freakshow that is the rednecks in West Virginia does not mesh with his personality. He can be a little more anonymous at MSU (as much as a 5 star recruit can be) and be allowed to develop.

Yeah, he's still a little raw, but his upside is ridiculous. He also has a little trouble staying motivated and locked in. Coach Izzo will help him with that problem imediately. Izzo is definately one of the top five coaches in America and being #1 isn't a stretch at all. Love Izzo.