2016 Commits

[Blue & Gold]

Isaiah Williams, a 6-5 SF from Dayton has given a verbal commitment to the Zips.

https://twitter.com/zay_williams20/status/571909279432589312?lang=en

[RowdyZip]

Two-sport athlete also plays DB. Are we sure this is a basketball commit?

[ZachTheZip]

Two-sport athlete also plays DB. Are we sure this is a basketball commit?

He's been at a few basketball games.

Offers from Belmont, Stony Brook, Wright State, and Miami (OH).

[bigsix0]

http://www.prephoopsohio.com/news_article/show/485044?referrer_id=

Story on commitment

[UAZippers]

http://www.prephoopsohio.com/news_article/show/485044?referrer_id=

Story on commitment

Yet another recruit who mentions the Zips 20 win seasons as a major reason for his commitment. We really need some more wins here at the end of the season.

[ZachTheZip]

Yet another recruit who mentions the Zips 20 win seasons as a major reason for his commitment. We really need some more wins here at the end of the season.

It's important, but the idea of stability goes beyond that. There are very few winning programs in the country where you can be fairly certain that you'll get to have the same head coach for your entire playing career. It's a bigger advantage than many realize, and it gets reinforced every time you hear about a coach getting fired or leaving for greener pastures right after signing day or right before a post season tournament.

[Balsy]

It's important, but the idea of stability goes beyond that. There are very few winning programs in the country where you can be fairly certain that you'll get to have the same head coach for your entire playing career. It's a bigger advantage than many realize, and it gets reinforced every time you hear about a coach getting fired or leaving for greener pastures right after signing day or right before a post season tournament.

Just look at OU. They've had 3 coaches in 5-years, which has finally had an impact on no-only recruiting, but also on-court success.

[zippyfan34]

Now ideally we want a center to replace pat in this class as well? A possible red shirt behind big dog of the other power forwards can play some backup minutes at center

[UAZip0510]

"I felt like [the timing] didn't matter because I felt like it was the best fit for me," Williams said. "The place is beautiful, they have a nice crowd and one thing that has Akron has, is stability."

[Blue & Gold]

Now ideally we want a center to replace pat in this class as well? A possible red shirt behind big dog of the other power forwards can play some backup minutes at center

That would be my guess, as next year will be Pat, jake & Reggie's senior seasons.

So we'll be losing 2 wings and a center.

We've got 1 wing down, 1 to go.

Come on, Henry Baddley!!!

[Dave in Green]

You really have to dig deep to find info on Isaiah. That figures as Rick Bolus ranks him as the "second sleeper" or #26 in his mid-season rankings for Ohio HS juniors after not including him in the Bolus preseason rankings. The Zips coaching staff has proven pretty good in recent years at finding sleepers on the rise who are flying under the radar of the bigger programs.

Various sources list Isaiah as 6-5, 6-6 and 6-7, which isn't all that unusual for growing HS juniors. The only weight I've found for him is 225 pounds, which indicates he won't have to go on a high-calorie diet to get up to a good college playing weight. He's also variously listed as a small forward and power forward. He sounds a lot like BJ in terms of his build and his college potential to play the 3 and 4 depending on his height, weight and strength a year and a half from now and the Zips' needs.

Not a lot of video on Isaiah, but in this short game highlights #15 in white grabs a rebound and throws a nice court-length pass to a teammate for a layup, makes a nice spinning jumper, and grabs another rebound and makes another quick outlet pass to a teammate for another layup. He looks pretty solid for a HS junior in this brief footage.

[Hilltopper]

That would be my guess, as next year will be Pat, jake & Reggie's senior seasons.

So we'll be losing 2 wings and a center.

We've got 1 wing down, 1 to go.

Come on, Henry Baddley!!!

Baddleys dad has much higher aspirations for his son than the MAC.

[wadszip]

You really have to dig deep to find info on Isaiah. That figures as Rick Bolus ranks him as the "second sleeper" or #26 in his mid-season rankings for Ohio HS juniors after not including him in the Bolus preseason rankings. The Zips coaching staff has proven pretty good in recent years at finding sleepers on the rise who are flying under the radar of the bigger programs.

Various sources list Isaiah as 6-5, 6-6 and 6-7, which isn't all that unusual for growing HS juniors. The only weight I've found for him is 225 pounds, which indicates he won't have to go on a high-calorie diet to get up to a good college playing weight. He's also variously listed as a small forward and power forward. He sounds a lot like BJ in terms of his build and his college potential to play the 3 and 4 depending on his height, weight and strength a year and a half from now and the Zips' needs.

Not a lot of video on Isaiah, but in this short game highlights #15 in white grabs a rebound and throws a nice court-length pass to a teammate for a layup, makes a nice spinning jumper, and grabs another rebound and makes another quick outlet pass to a teammate for another layup. He looks pretty solid for a HS junior in this brief footage.

No. 26 in Ohio is deceiving since the 16 class, even after losing two 5 stars (VJ King of St. V and Omari Spellman of North Royalton), is probably the best class the state has ever produced. The talent is ridiculous.

With that said, I dont know anything about Williams, but he has nice size and solid stats. I'm interested in seeing how he does in AAU ball. I see he was with Team One Phenoms last year, a local Cincy/Dayton squad. Wonder if he stays with them or "moves up" to King James, All-Ohio or OBC?

[Hilltopper]

No. 26 in Ohio is deceiving since the 16 class, even after losing two 5 stars (VJ King of St. V and Omari Spellman of North Royalton), is probably the best class the state has ever produced. The talent is ridiculous.

With that said, I dont know anything about Williams, but he has nice size and solid stats. I'm interested in seeing how he does in AAU ball. I see he was with Team One Phenoms last year, a local Cincy/Dayton squad. Wonder if he stays with them or "moves up" to King James, All-Ohio or OBC?

I would rather see him spend his summer working out and being a gym rat. AAU is great to showcase your talents prior to getting offered but after that it is a waste of time. Running up and down the court without playing any defense doesn't prepare a kid for what happens when they show up on campus.

[LZIp]

Some Syracuse players are looking to relocate. One closer to home in Indianapolis.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12517086/syracuse-orange-losing-bj-johnson-ron-patterson

[Blue & Gold]

http://www.verbalcommits.com/schools/akron

Came across this pretty great recruiting sight. Verbalcommits.com. It lists all (of which they are aware) outstanding scholarship offers Akron (or any school) has through the next two years.

It doesn't reflect the offer that we've apparently extended to Malik Miller.

It does show that we've offered a scholarship to Canton Timken's LePear Toles.

I still haven't seen where we've offered STVM's Henry Baddley. He's going to be legit. We should get on him. Hilltopper mentioned that Baddley's parents are thinking "bigger than the MAC." Great, so are we! And, btw, Rick Bolus has future Zip Isaiah Williams more highly ranked than Baddley. I think Baddley's just got a ton of potential, plus he's a homeboy - we gotta get that STVM pipeline running again (we're also going to covet STVM sophomore PG Jayvon Graves in two years).

[Hilltopper]

Verbal Commits.com is only as good as the information they are sent. A school can make an offer to a recruit but they cannot announce it. If a recruit chooses not to announce , no one will ever know.

[Blue & Gold]

Evaluation from PrepHoopsOhio on 2016 Zips' verbal Isaiah Williams of Dayton Stivers.

"Williams might have been frustrated with the final score on Monday night, however the 6'7 junior forward shouldn't blame himself as he was efficient in scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Doing most of his work as a slasher attacking from the wing or the high post, Williams handles the ball very well for a face-up forward, and thrives on taking advantages of mismatches. He's very right-hand dominant at this point, but he has the agility to find his way to the rim to finish, and is big and strong enough to absorb contact as well. Williams still gets caught trying to do too much at times, but his attitude has really improved and he's a kid who is highly motivated to try and win. We like his overall progress, and still believe that he is one of the top talents in the entire state in Ohio's 2016 class."

https://prephoopsohio.sportngin.com/news_article/show/461155?referrer_id=1412855

[Blue & Gold]

Baddleys dad has much higher aspirations for his son than the MAC.

I'm still upset that there is absolutely zero mention online about the Zips recruiting Henry Baddley. He's an athletic freak right in our own backyard and now Buffalo and Ohio have both offered him, along with the offers he already holds from Toledo & Middle Tennessee State. His dad may have higher aspirations than the MAC, but on Henry's twitter feed, he seems genuinely proud to be receiving these offers. Hilltopper, or anyone, do you know if the Zips are going after Henry and there just, for some reason, has been absolutely no mention of it on any of the recruiting websites or twitter?

[Hilltopper]

I'm still upset that there is absolutely zero mention online about the Zips recruiting Henry Baddley. He's an athletic freak right in our own backyard and now Buffalo and Ohio have both offered him, along with the offers he already holds from Toledo & Middle Tennessee State. His dad may have higher aspirations than the MAC, but on Henry's twitter feed, he seems genuinely proud to be receiving these offers. Hilltopper, or anyone, do you know if the Zips are going after Henry and there just, for some reason, has been absolutely no mention of it on any of the recruiting websites or twitter?

I think we already have a number of players with the same skill set set as Baddley already on the roster. Agba, Utomi, Olajapoke and recent commit Williams all fit the same template ie athletic forward.. I think the Zips are more interested in finding a true center at this point.