@Illini Zip, all good questions regarding LePear...
I know this topic has likely been covered at some point and it doesn't belong in this thread. But since it's slow today maybe some of you will humor me and answer my questions about Lepear Toles. He is from your general area, has anybody watched him play in person, thoughts? I think he's a steal from the clips I see. There is no way he is a 2 star prospect in my opinion. He is 6'-6" with smooth guard skills. I see him playing 1 through 3, possibly the 4. Groce has used shooting guards and small forwards to initiate the offense in the past so it's not an impossibility for him to play the point. Tony Carr at Penn State, point guard - 6'-5", is a nightmare for small guards. Also, does anyone know why Toles went the military academy and junior college route? Grades perhaps? Did he have any good offers coming out of high school? Finally, does he have 3 years of eligibility left starting next year?
I would appreciate any feedback, thanks.
Yes, LePear is from Canton, which is a neighboring city to the south of Akron, less than 20-minutes away. I saw LePear play, oh, maybe four times while he was in high school. I always enjoy following the local guys, so I was hoping we'd sign him coming out of high school.
His game reminds me of Eric Parrish. I'd say he's not quite as athletic as Eric, but a slightly better ball handler. He was always know for his outside shot in high school, but really started blowing up when he became more aggressive driving to the hoop. He's also a pretty good passer. As you mentioned, I'd like to see him try to run the point. He was part-time PG in high school, but McKinley had another nice guard named Darryl Straughter who was only 5'8" & was also an excellent PG so LePear usually played off the ball.
LePear is a versatile player. He lets the game come to him & doesn't normally force things. Sometimes in high school I wished he had forced the issue more, but he's a good team player. In the state playoffs his senior year he finally developed the attitude of "Give me the d@mn ball and get out of my way." He led McKinley to the state quarter finals before losing a close game to eventual state champion Lima Senior.