I think this is where Leblanc stood before his visit, but just for the sake of providing an update:

LawHall88 said:

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Not sure that pic verifies that Bryce Thompson is 6' 5"

His hair is almost there.

Didn't make the cut for Quentin Grimes, although maybe his quote at the end leaves some wiggle room

Quote:

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ADAM ZAGORIA


Quentin Grimes cuts to four, breaks down home visits

Quentin Grimes, the 6-foot-5, 195-pound point guard from College Park High School (TX), has trimmed his list to four schools and had home visits with all four of them this week.

He will announce official visits later this week but is expected to visit all four Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette and Texas. Grimes cut Arizona, Texas A&M and Baylor from his original list of seven.

"Those are really my final four right now," he said Wednesday by phone.

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http://www.zagsblog.com/2017/09/13/quentin-grimes-cuts-four-breaks-home-visits/

Damn, that sucks. We were the first on this kid a few years ago, sucks to see Marquette and Texas making the cut and not us. Shaka Smart sure can recruit, and yet he can't seem to coach his way out of a paper bag at tu.

Meaning he wasn't reciprocating their interest so best to not put resources to him and focus it elsewhere?

The next couple of weeks will tell us a lot about the 2018 recruiting class.

- 4 star guard Keyshawn Emberly is announcing between Texas A&M and Arkansas tomorrow. Because our roster is currently loaded with young quality guards (Caldwell, Starks, Chandler) and Arkansas' current guard roster is senior heavy, going Hogs makes a lot of sense for Emberly and seems likely that is where he will go.

- 4 star power forward Josh LeBlanc (Baton Rouge kid) is going to be decided between LSU, Arkansas, and Texas A&M. He is a friend of Emberly and just did an official to College Station last weekend. He also knows Robert Williams. LSU just landed a 5-star forward. The pick there has generally been LSU, but given that the Tigers just added the 5-star then that could change things. Unlike Emberly, A&M has a good roster story to tell to LeBlanc (come in and be the next Louisianimal that Darby puts an NBA body on like he just did Robert Williams). This one is murky. We'll see. He is supposed to visit LSU as of now on September 22. Kennedy visited with him again as recently as Wednesday.

- 4-star power forward Jaedon LeDee - Many Crystal Ball picks for A&M in this one and he is doing an official visit to College Station this weekend. Unclear whether both LeBlanc and LeDee would come to College Station if the other committed. As of now, this seems like the most likely Texas A&M commit of the top-rated guys that the Aggies are currently in on.

- 4-star small forward Miller Kopp - Going to Northwestern this weekend. Just did an official with A&M last weekend. Decision probably not too far off. Butler is still trying to get him., but looks like probably going to be a Northwestern vs. A&M decision. Observers as of now seem to be leaning Northwestern but Kennedy still trying to get him (was at Houston Christian just a couple of days ago).

As of right now, I do feel okay that the Aggies will probably get at least 1 of the above 4 guys, but hopefully they will get 2 of them and that of course looks like a tougher gig. If they got at least one of LeBlanc or LeDee and then Kopp, that would be a good November signing class IMO. Then see about adding another guy or two in the spring. But we'll see.

Hop said:

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I don't think LSU will continue to pursue LeBlanc hard after yesterday's commitment, and I think A&M has a pretty good chance here. The question is what happens to LeDee, and if A&M pushes him (he's at A&M now) for a quick commit. Some believe A&M will only take one big in this class, and I think the staff sees LeBlanc as a more traditional big while LeDee is a hybrid stretch forward and even possibly a wing in a big lineup. We'll see.

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We trotted out the Davis-Williams-Trocha frontline a handful of times later in the season, maybe BK likes the option of "going big."

I'm really hoping we can find a way to take both.

LawHall88 said:

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Hop said:

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I don't think LSU will continue to pursue LeBlanc hard after yesterday's commitment, and I think A&M has a pretty good chance here. The question is what happens to LeDee, and if A&M pushes him (he's at A&M now) for a quick commit. Some believe A&M will only take one big in this class, and I think the staff sees LeBlanc as a more traditional big while LeDee is a hybrid stretch forward and even possibly a wing in a big lineup. We'll see.

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We trotted out the Davis-Williams-Trocha frontline a handful of times later in the season, maybe BK likes the option of "going big."

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I think that combination was more the result Corprew and Caldwell not making it in and Vila not panning out than it was by design.

Or in other words, when somebody uses mismatched silverware it probably doesn't mean they prefer mismatched silverware

mdanyc03 said:

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Or in other words, when somebody uses mismatched silverware it probably doesn't mean they prefer mismatched silverware

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Well put. Although if Tonny were able to play like he did in the FIBA tournament I wouldn't be opposed to revisiting that lineup if something were to happen to DJ or Flagg or there was an obvious mismatch opportunity..

Emberly to the pigs

Ags #1 said:

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Emberly to the pigs

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Well at least that is fully anticipated bad news

Many Cry.stal balls on Ledee going to Ohio State today. He commits tomorrow. Rats.

We better land LeBlanc. That sucks on LeDee.

Maybe the staff moved up his visit last weekend because Ohio State was about to get him. LeDee was at Ohio State the weekend before.

If we don't get LeBlanc, then the staff's recruiting effort for 2018 November signing period is going start looking like a 'bust' IMO because they would have apparently whiffed on getting a quality power forward recruit to College Station (and seems like a definite need to sign one of those in 2018).

Losing out on Emberly was really not that big a deal, cause our roster is already loaded with young quality guards. It actually didn't really make sense for Emberly to choose us over Arkansas, so that didn't concern me at all.

But we clearly need to add a quality power forward type given that both Robert Williams and Tonny Trocha are going to be gone after this season. We can absolutely sell immediate playing time to a 4-star 2018 freshman PF recruit.

Everybody cross fingers for LeBlanc and hope that LSU truly isn't interested as much in a 4-star Baton Rouge kid since landing their 5-star PF type last week. If we get LeBlanc, things are good. If not...uh...yikes...

Looks like LSU's front court situation is about the same as ours for 2018-2019. They lose 3 guys after this year, and will have a senior, a junior and two sophomores on their roster next year, plus the freshman 5* they got just last week.

We will have Davis (SR), Nebo (JR), Jasey (SO) and Walker (SO or RS-Fr). Looks pretty similar, minus the current commitment.

If it does come down to us and LSU for LeBlanc, the question will be, from the LSU side, do they have a scholly to offer to another forward, or do they need to add a guard? I think they will have 3-4 senior guards in 2018-2019, so you'd think they would want to bring in a guard as well in this class. Actually, their entire roster is pretty similar to ours, from a class/position standpoint.

I'm assuming we will/are putting the full-court press on LeBlanc, probably selling him as our only post in this class, etc., and I actually trust BK and the staff to close ... but they NEED to close this guy.

Hearing Northwestern has the lead for Miller Kopp

lbasham said:

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Many Cry.stal balls on Ledee going to Ohio State today. He commits tomorrow. Rats.

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Are crystal balls ever right?

Method Man said:

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lbasham said:

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Many Cry.stal balls on Ledee going to Ohio State today. He commits tomorrow. Rats.

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Are crystal balls ever right?

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Jerry Meyer when asked why he changed his CB pitch from A&M to Ohio State today.

Ledee to Ohio State.

PJYoung said:

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His hair is almost there.

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Cue the Fletch reference.

Wouldn't count out Butler just yet. They really pulled out the stops on Kopp's recent visit, plus his summer teammate PF Morris Udeze (FB Travis product currently at Montverde) also has Butler in his final 5. Udeze is ranked as the top Texas 2018 big by some so not sure why Northwestern or A&M hasn't offered. He also has Ohio State, LSU, Wichita State and TCU aa the other 4. Naz Reid's recent commitment to LSU probably puts him elsewhere, and some think Wichita leads. Not sure how LeDee's commitment effects Ohio State's chances.

I think you're probably right on your assessment on Kopp with NW and A&M, but Butler is definitely still in it. I can say that Chris Collins was at every one of his live period games this spring and summer and has been all in on Kopp. But Kennedy also definitely picked up the pace and was even in Orlando at the end of the summer watching Kopp while most were in Vegas. And Kopp would be the third marquee player from the Houston Defenders program in as many years to end up in Aggieland if that ends up being his choice.

LonghornsNo1 said:

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And any criticism you could make of Kennedy cannot be recruiting-related. He has recruited out of his shoes since he's been there. For some reason, he reminds me a lot of Mack Brown in that regard. A genuine, kind person who parents trust and kids love. And if A&M stays healthy with everyone available, I know a LOT of basketball people who actually favor them to win the SEC. You start making deep tournament runs, you will see another bump in recruiting. With superior talent, you only need the right group to mesh to catch lightning in a bottle.

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Some of the struggles to recruit for 2018 is understandable actually because A&M has recruited so well recently.

Texas A&M currently has four guard/wing types on its roster with 4 years of eligibility remaining in Caldwell, TJ Starks, Jay Jay Chandler, Savion Flagg, plus that Walker kid whom they picked up late spring.

That is a pretty loaded looking roster for any 2018 recruit who is prioritizing early playing time at the traditional 1-3 spots. So was understandable that any PG/Combo-Guard/Wingish type was probably a tough sell. It seemed Emberly went Arkansas partly because of our backcourt roster being so loaded, and apparently LeDee also fancies himself more a face up wing (like Flagg) than a traditional post guy.

Now...Robert Williams and Tonny Trocha are definitely gone at the end of this season. Maybe even Davis too depending on how well things go. Texas A&M already has the transfer Nebo (whom they seem really high on) and Jasey to slot into the middle. But definitely a PF recruit like LeBlanc, it seems like Texas A&M's roster should look really attractive in terms of coming in and filling in a roster hole left by Robert Williams and Tonny's departures. But that kid lives in Baton Rouge so you gotta watch LSU obviously depending on how hard they are still pushing for him.

If they can land a kid like LeBlanc, IMO that would have addressed the biggest need for the 2018 recruiting. LeBlanc is a long, athletic power forward type. That would be just what the doctor ordered. Now they would still have a couple more spots to fill after that but still crossing fingers for LeBlanc (or somebody along those lines).

lbasham said:

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Ledee to Ohio State.

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Meh. He'll be back in the state of Texas Before his four years are up