Blue & Gold Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted August 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illini Zip Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 Now that's a wing span. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akronzips71 Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 Now wait. This guy grad HS in 2018 but he won't be playing for us this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akron1 Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 1 hour ago, akronzips71 said: Now wait. This guy grad HS in 2018 but he won't be playing for us this year? According to VerbalCommits.com Mikal Dawson is in the 2019 recruiting class. He will play at Huntington Prep in 2018-19. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 2 hours ago, akronzips71 said: Now wait. This guy grad HS in 2018 but he won't be playing for us this year? Welcome to the way things are done now. Instead of riding the bench as a redshirt freshman, he will be playing and getting better at a prep school. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UAZippers Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 It is kind of encouraging to me that Mikal committed before the season. The entire reason he decided to play a year of prep school (according to local news articles that I have read) was so he can show off to scouts this upcoming season and get some better offers. He must have really been impressed by his visit to decide to commit before he even played a game. I obviously believe that the Zips are a step up from Marshll, BG, and the like, but it is nice to see that recruits are still seeing it that way as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 Big fan of this commit. If he stays committed, awesome. If not, still awesome, because it's a Huntington Prep kid committing to Akron. Might turn a few heads towards Akron that otherwise weren't looking our way. 51 minutes ago, UAZippers said: It is kind of encouraging to me that Mikal committed before the season. The entire reason he decided to play a year of prep school (according to local news articles that I have read) was so he can show off to scouts this upcoming season and get some better offers. He must have really been impressed by his visit to decide to commit before he even played a game. I obviously believe that the Zips are a step up from Marshll, BG, and the like, but it is nice to see that recruits are still seeing it that way as well. Totally agree they are an obvious step up from Marshll, but not sure they're a step up - let alone an obvious one - from Marshall (coming off an upset of Wichita State in the NCAA Tourney). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted November 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2018 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illini Zip Posted November 16, 2018 Report Share Posted November 16, 2018 (edited) When Groce recruits new players I like to compare them to past players to try to get an idea of how he intends to utilize them. Some are more obvious than others. Mikal Dawson's videos scream former Illini guard, Rayvonte Rice to me. And that would be a very good thing. Both 6 - 4. I think Dawson has longer arms. Dawson 200lbs now. Rice 220lbs out of high school, played at 230lbs for Illinois. Both Shooting Guards that played some forward in high school. Both very strong and played football in high school. Both seek contact and can rebound/score in a crowd. Both have hops and play above the rim. Both team leaders and state champions. Rice was runner-up to Mr. Illinois Basketball and a 3 star recruit. Dawson was voted captain of the Class AAA all-state first team in West Virginia and a 2 star recruit. Both passed over by P5 schools out of high school. Rice transferred in from Drake after 2 years to play for Groce. I don't know if there is such a thing as a power guard in basketball, but that is exactly what Rayvonte Rice was for Illinois. He was "Mr. And 1" because he drove the lane like a running back. I think Utomi, who is taller and a natural wing could very well take on that role now that he has help and depth at forward. And I sure do hope to see Mikal Dawson develop into some version of a power guard. https://www.hudl.com/video/3/5343942/58fbe8b002b1c631d0ccfdbf Edited November 16, 2018 by Illini Zip 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illini Zip Posted February 15, 2019 Report Share Posted February 15, 2019 (edited) After discussing Ali Ali, we should check in and see what's new with Mikal Dawson. He was harder to find and there is not much good video out there on him. He is using this gap year to develop with a group called Huntington Prep Post Grad (Gold Team) which I believe operates out of Marshall University facilities. The kid is indeed strong, especially for a guard and plays a hard nosed game. Anyway, the following video is a mess. There is camera lens fog for one thing and the operator doesn't follow the action well, but you get a sense of his ability and the level of competition he is running with this year. Blue and Gold team, #22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3yb_Sxvs2g Program twitter page: https://twitter.com/HunPrepPostGrad Edited February 15, 2019 by Illini Zip 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted March 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illini Zip Posted March 4, 2019 Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 (edited) 1000 pts scored in 35 games averages to 29 pts/game. I think that's impressive at any level. Maybe the Zips have already found their much needed go-to scorer. Edited March 4, 2019 by Illini Zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LZIp Posted March 4, 2019 Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 1000 points in a season?!?! Holy smokes. I am excited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted March 4, 2019 Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 Diamond in the rough? Hopefully the Fulford connection pays off here. Like @LZIp, I'm excited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted March 4, 2019 Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 I watched a decent chunk of that video @Illini Zip posted on 2/15. Dawson seemed to do a good job at both finishing at the rim in traffic and at hitting open 3's. It's just a chunk of 1 game, but I feel he would be an instant help on the offensive end. I feel he has some improving to do on the defensive end of the court. I'd expect the team culture and Groce stressing defense to earn minutes will help him make big strides in that department. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted March 4, 2019 Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 Anybody ever notice how the recruiting threads pick up when the team is playing poorly. So much for living in the moment! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted March 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueandgold Posted March 26, 2019 Report Share Posted March 26, 2019 We definitely need a guy who can make the clutch shot! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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