[NoSkillz]

2029 Offseason


Recruiting (PHASE SIX)


CENTERS

LAST PHASE ACTIONS -
- Kameron Corchiani: Call, Scout, Coach Visit

Phase five ends with "Hat Day", the day all of the remaining 5* recruits announce their commitments by taking one of three hats during the CJBL podcast.

As a lowly mid-major, we aren't in on any five star prospects but hoped that some of our recruits would commit after this phase.

We had no scholarship offers out on centers last stage and the only one on our call list, Kameron Corchiani, commits to UNC Wilmington at the end of phase five so we are once again starting from zero at the position.

We go hunting for hidden gems and add four centers to our call list:

- Alphonso Zabo **, C, 7'1", 256lbs, Manchester, TN (529th in Nation; 132nd at C)
LAST YEAR: 23.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.54 SPG, 0.88 BPG, 28.8 MPG

- Maurice Moiso ***, C, 6'10", 248lbs, Lilburn, GA (408th in Nation; 107th at C)
LAST YEAR: 10.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.52 SPG, 0.89 BPG, 27.0 MPG

- Devin Middleton ***, C, 7'0", 250lbs, Scotch Plains, NJ (216th in Nation; 57th at C)
LAST YEAR: 15.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.50 SPG, 0.88 BPG, 27.9 MPG

- Damontez Walton **, C, 6'11", 263lbs, Warren, OH (564th in Nation; 141st at C)
LAST YEAR: 16.9 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.40 SPG, 2.23 BPG, 28.5 MPG

I place token calls with Moiso, Middleton and Walton but Zabo is extremely interesting, as I make my first foray into 2* (aka: bargain bin) territory. A monster with a freakish wingspan, Zabo was one of the most productive centers in the nation last year, averaging over 23 points per game. My scouts think he's a 3* player and he's got some interesting attributes. I send my coach to visit him.

PHASE SIX ACTIONS (CENTERS) -
- Alphonso Zabo: Call, Scout, Coach Visit
- Maurice Moiso: Call
- Devin Middleton: Call
- Damontez Walton: Call


POWER FORWARDS

LAST PHASE ACTIONS
- Shaun Rakocevic: 3rd Call, 2nd Scout, ** VISITING CAMPUS **, ** CONSIDERING SCHOLARSHIP **, ** MAJOR PITCH **
- Kellen Abell: 3rd Call
- Darren Suggs: 3rd Call, Scout
- Evan Piatowski: 3rd Call, 2nd Scout, Coach Visit, Offer Campus Visit, Offer Starting Job
- Dave Westerfield: 2nd Call, 2nd Scout
- Quan Westerfield: Call, Scout
- Kobe Wright: Call, Scout

Some more good news, as we get our second recruit!

Please welcome Shaun Rakocevic to Buffalo! This hybrid PF/C was the beneficiary of our "Major Pitch" and spent a couple weeks exploring the campus before finally committing. He's more of a defensive player and my scouts feel he's best suited to playing the five, which means he would be battling incumbent Jordan Gailey for playing time. Regardless, with Rakocevic and Matt Cristiano committing, we are in good shape with our big men now.

Now, in the "embarrassment of riches" category, I find out that 4* PF Evan Piatowski has accepted our campus visit offer and is in Buffalo right now! Do we really need him now that we have Rakocevic and Cristiano (along with sophomore Gailey)? Perhaps not but I've gotten this far so I offer him a scholarship now that he's here in Buffalo. He's gone from Below Average to Above Average interest over the past few weeks...I'm currently ranked 3rd of the 5 teams chasing him but that was before I offered the scholarship.

As for the others, Abell still hasn't made a decision but is down to two teams, down from four last week. I scout him again and send a coach to visit him. Darren Suggs is off the market, having committed to Boston University. Dave Westerfield, Quan Westerfield and Kobe Wright are all still out there - I send a coach to visit the 4* Dave Westerfield and keep the others on my call list. I also add two more to the call list for power forwards:

- Carlbe Woods ***, PF, 6'10", 249lbs, Chillicothe, MS (288th in Nation; 49th at PF)
LAST YEAR: 15.9 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.52 SPG, 2.31 BPG, 26.7 MPG

- Reco Scott **, PF, 6'9", 239lbs, Columbus, OH (678th in Nation; 147th at PF)
LAST YEAR: 23.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.39 SPG, 0.54 BPG, 26.4 MPG

I call and scout Woods, who my scouts call a "jump shooting four" and just call the 2* Scott, who was very prolific last year in high school.

PHASE SIX ACTIONS (POWER FORWARDS)
- Kellen Abell: 4th Call, 2nd Scout, Coach Visit
- Evan Piatowski: 4th Call, 3rd Scout, Coach Visit, ** VISITING CAMPUS **, Offer Starting Job, Offer Scholarship
- Dave Westerfield: 3rd Call, 3rd Scout, Coach Visit
- Quan Westerfield: 2nd Call, 2nd Scout
- Kobe Wright: 2nd Call, 2nd Scout
- Carlbe Woods: Call, Scout
- Reco Scott: Call


SMALL FORWARDS

LAST PHASE ACTIONS
- Phil Lampley: Call, Scout, Coach Visit, Offer Campus Visit, Offer Starting Job
- Adrian Neely: Call, Scout

I seem to be hopelessly behind on solid SF talent and once again, I'm left holding an empty bag, as Lampley rejects my campus visit offer and commits to VCU. Adrian Neely has one team after him right now in Alabama so I'm likely not getting anywhere with him. I still scout him again.

We add three players to our call list at the small forward position:

- Patrick Matthews ***, SF, 6'9", 218lbs, Tampa, FL (361st in Nation; 68th at SF)
LAST YEAR: 18.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.52 SPG, 0.44 BPG, 27.4 MPG

- Sammis McLemore ***, SF/PF, 6'8", 205lbs, Nappanee, IN (164th in Nation; 33rd at SF)
LAST YEAR: 16.3 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.07 SPG, 1.93 BPG, 28.2 MPG

- Zach Polite ***, SF, 6'5", 218lbs, Woodbridge, VA (397th in Nation; 73rd at SF)
LAST YEAR: 16.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 4.8 APG, 0.66 SPG, 0.45 BPG, 26.6 MPG

Matthews is interesting - he went to the same high school as Benjamin Cokley, the PG who is currently visiting our campus. I call, scout and offer him a campus visit as well. But Sammis McLemore looks to be really good, a 3* recruit who grades as a 4* talent by our scouts. I go full monty with him: call, scout, coach visit, campus visit, starting job offer and scholarship offer. He only has lukewarm interest in us so this would be a shock if I can get him. I just call the 3* Polite, as he has five teams already on his radar.

PHASE SIX ACTIONS (SMALL FORWARDS)
- Adrian Neely: 2nd Call, 2nd Scout
- Patrick Matthews: Call, Scout, Offer Campus Visit
- Sammis McLemore: Call, Scout, Coach Visit, Offer Campus Visit, Offer Starting Job, Offer Scholarship
- Zach Polite: Call


SHOOTING GUARD

LAST PHASE ACTIONS
- Jimmie Bell: 2nd Call, 2nd Scout, Coach Visit, ** CONSIDERING SCHOLARSHIP **, Offer Starting Job
- Joe Corner: 2nd Call, Coach Visit
- Isaac Galloway: Call, Scout, Offer Scholarship, Offer Starting Job

Bell was considering our scholarship offer but we were ranked 3rd of the 3 teams chasing him, so it's no surprise to see that he commits to Dayton, who were in on him early. Joe Corner is also gone, having committed to Temple. We also offered a scholarship to Isaac Galloway but he tells us to stick it and eliminates us from consideration. I take him off our call list and we are starting from scratch here as well.

So I add three to our call list:

- Henrik Braxton ***, SG/SF, 6'2", 186lbs, Latham, NY (192nd in Nation; 30th at SG)
LAST YEAR: 15.6 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 4.8 APG, 0.97 SPG, 0.33 BPG, 28.2 MPG

- Glenn Keith **, SG, 6'4", 195lbs, Chaumont, NY (607th in Nation; 102nd at SG)
LAST YEAR: 21.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 2.47 SPG, 0.53 BPG, 26.8 MPG

- Tashawn Cohen **, SG/PG, 6'0", 203lbs, Forest City, AK (647th in Nation; 108th at SG)
LAST YEAR: 17.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 4.2 APG, 0.50 SPG, 0.53 BPG, 26.8 MPG

I call and scout Braxton and he grades well as a finishing wing. I decide to send a coach to talk to him to raise his interest from "Above Average", while also offering a campus visit, offering a scholarship and a starting job. He's got two teams chasing him right now. I just call the 2* Keith and Cohen for now.

PHASE SIX ACTIONS (SHOOTING GUARDS)
- Henrik Braxton: Call, Scout, Coach Visit, Offer Campus Visit, Offer Scholarship, Offer Starting Job
- Glenn Keith: Call
- Tashawn Cohen: Call


POINT GUARD

LAST PHASE ACTIONS
- Benjamin Cokley: 3rd Call, 3rd Scout, Coach Visit, ** VISITING CAMPUS **, ** CONSIDERING SCHOLARSHIP **, Offer Starting Job
- Alan Small: 2nd Call, Coach Visit, Offer Starting Job
- Jared Bishop: 2nd Call
- Scott Winter: 2nd Call
- Louis Hymon: 2nd Call, Scout
- Jontray Zeyen: Call, Scout, Coach Visit, Offer Campus Visit, Offer Scholarship, Offer Starting Job

We were ranked 3rd on his list of five teams before phase five was run but somehow, someway, we get the incredible news that Benjamin Cokley has committed to Buffalo!

We have our starting point guard!!!

He wasn't very prolific in high school but my scouts grade him as a 3.5 star talent with great quickness. He should work very well with junior PG Cole Relvao in our backcourt. Exciting!

The pressure is now completely off at this position, as we're essentially set. Small is still trying to decide his future but we are off his five school list at this point. No worries man! Bishop is also still deciding while Scott Winter and Louis Hymon make decisions, committing to Columbia and Northern Iowa respectively. We had gone hard after Jontray Zeyen in the last phase but he is not interested in us anymore so we take him off our call list.

We don't add anyone new to our call list at point guard.

PHASE SIX ACTIONS (POINT GUARDS)
- Alan Small: 3rd Call, Coach Visit, Offer Starting Job
- Jared Bishop: 3rd Call


PHASE SIX SUMMARY AND THOUGHTS -

We get two more commitments and the three really key spots we needed to fill in recruiting are locked up, taking some pressure off us. I still need one more big man but otherwise, I can just look for the best player available with our other scholarships.

Here are the six scholarship offers out there right now:

PF Cristiano ** COMMITTED TO BUFFALO **
PF Rakocevic ** COMMITTED TO BUFFALO **
PG Cokley ** COMMITTED TO BUFFALO **
SG Braxton
SF McLemore
PF Piatowksi

I'm stunned to still be in the race for the talented Piatowski and he's currently enjoying a tour at our campus. He would be an incredible addition to our school but with Cristiano already committed, it's not a big deal if he doesn't accept the offer. That said, we still need another big man so I'd love it if it's him.

McLemore is a bit of a dream at this stage, as he's been chased for weeks by other schools and I'm coming in late trying to snipe him. Braxton is more of a possibility, as he has a decent level of interest in us.

Regardless, it's been a good week for us and most of the pressure is off as we begin the second half of the recruiting season.