BGT: Adam, signing day is still over a month away and CU's class is approaching full capacity. Are the Buffs done fishing or are there still players to be brought into the fold?
Munsterteiger: Things have been quiet on the recruiting front lately because there is a three week dead period for recruiting during the holidays. During this stretch, colleges cannot have contact with recruits on or off campus. The dead period ends on January 12th. Following that, CU will be putting the finishing touches on their 2007 recruiting class. They only have room for probably two more additions.
The Buffs also have to make sure their 29 known commitments stay on board. P.T. Gates, Anthony Wright, Josh Smith and Adam Tello were all listed as soft commitments at one point. While it looks like those four are going to stick with their pledge to CU, nothing is official until signing day.
Believe it or not, the staff is heavily recruiting the class of 2008 already. They have handed out scholarship offers to high school juniors, including Ponderosa linebacker Jon Major. Major likely will be the top-ranked in-state prospect next year.
BGT: What about qualifying players to get into school?
Friedman: Coach (Gary) Barnett, in his last years, kind of went with the attitude of 'not who we can get but can we get in (to school) and I only want those players.' So he was not into taking risks.
Coach (Dan) Hawkins is trying to get the better players. That's the reality of the it -- if you want the better players, most of the better players have academic risk.
Right now, some of the better players in the class aren't qualified. Conrad Obi isn't qualified, Anthony Wright is not qualified, Nate Vaimourga is not qualified yet and I think that is one of the reasons why (CU) is oversigning too. It's like they expect a couple of kids not to get in.
The problem is if a kid like Obi can't qualify, if a kid like Wright can't qualify, the class goes from being potentially top 25, top 30 to top 40.
They're taking risks to get better players and that's what they have to do.
BGT: Best bets, in your opinion, Adam, for names that might still land in this year's class?
Ryan McCants, a bruising running back from SoCal, visited CU back in mid-September. He’ll most likely end up deciding between
Cameron Jordan is another prospect to keep an eye on. The highly-ranked strongside defensive end visited CU in mid-December and is expected to make a decision sometime in the near future.
Don’t be surprised if the Buffs bring in some visitors in January that are currently committed to other programs. Last year, Hawkins was able to get three prospects (Marquez Herrod, Michael Sipili and Jimmy Smith) to change their pledge in the weeks leading up to signing day.
BGT: Does CU have a surprise blue chip verbal possibly coming its' way or is it going to finalize this class with guys who they hope will contribute down the line?
Friedman: They believe they have a good shot at Jordan and they're still looking at McCants. The other kid is (quarterback) Kirk Cousins, for a grayshirt, out of Holland, Mich. He's not on paper a blue chip. McCants and Jordan are not super-highly regarded recruits either but they are very good.
BGT: You're Dan Hawkins for a moment, Andrew. What positions do you want to fill to wrap up this class?
Friedman: To me, they did not address the defensive tackle position. Hawkins has been harping on his staff this whole recruiting cycle 'go out and get me some defensive lineman, some quality ones.'
It's the hardest position in the nation to recruit because all the guys want to go to the same school -- LSU, Miami -- schools that are known for pumping out guys to the NFL draft. So Colorado has to go for guys that are reaches or 'tweeners.
(Hawkins) wants to get another defensive end, Jordan, and (CU) is trying to get Dominic Glover in for a visit.
Right now, a lot of schools are in the mode of 'it's January, we haven't addressed all our needs, who can we steal (from other schools)?'
Coming into January, the main thing they need to do is hold on to the recruits they have. I do believe they have signed difference makers at almost every position but haven't addressed all their needs the way they wanted or needed.
The only places that they haven't signed difference makers, on paper, are quarterback and linebacker and the no. 1 thing they need in the next class is to get a difference maker at quarterback. Nothing is better for a recruiting class than getting a verbal commit from a top quarterback early as you can in the cycle -- everyone wants to get on the bandwagon after that.
Will say this -- people I know at Arizona State have told me the program is definitely seeing the repercussions of losing (offensive coordinator Mark) Helfrich (to Colorado). They're telling me that 'you're going to get an awesome quarterback on the roster, like a Rudy Carpenter or a Sam Keller (transferred to Nebraska)."
Bowling in the Big 12...Oklahoma State beat Alabama in the Independence Bowl, 34-31, and as impressive as it sounds to say "we beat the Crimson Tide" the fact is the Cowboys topped a team that isn't your daddy's Alabama. That said, with quarterback Bobby Reid, backs Dantrell Savage and Keith Toston and receiver Adarius Bowman, coach Mike Gundy has the foundation to build on, offensively, especially is Bowman stays away from the next NFL draft. OSU will be a tough draw, difficult to corral, next season. The question remains can they stop anyone? Six times they gave up 30 points or more. They allowed 29 and 27 in two other games. For Gundy to take the Pokes up a notch he needs defensive playmakers, maybe guys like former OSU stars Leslie O'Neal and Jason Gildon.
Sixteenth-ranked Rutgers overwhelmed a young Kansas State-team in the Texas Bowl, 37-10, as quarterback Mike Teel shredded the Wildcats' secondary for 265 yards and two scores and Ray Rice piled up 170 yards and an average of seven yards a carry. Meanwhile, K-State freshman quarterback Josh Freeman threw two interceptions and no ballcarrier ran for more than 20 yards. Coach Ron Prince's team had a surprisingly good season but was no match for the Scarlet Knights. The foundation for better things has been set and if Prince can recruit, he will win. We know he can coach.
N0. 20 California blitzed Texas A & M, 45-10, in the Holiday Bowl, putting Aggies' coach Dennis Franchione back on the hot seat. Running backs Justin Forcett and Marshawn Lynch shredded the defense of the men from College Station for a combined 239 yards and three touchdowns. Didn't Texas A & M used to be known for defense? The Wrecking Crew? Bears' quarterback Nate Longshore added insult to injury with 231 yards passing and another score. Aggies' boosters will not be happy with this and it would not be a total shock to see Franchione step down. He likely won't be fired but the pressure for the athletic director to do so might be surprisingly high.
Court Calls...Eleventh-ranked Texas A & M embarrassed Grambling, 101-27, holding its' opponent to 20 percent shooting from the floor while also forcing 30 turnovers. Josh Carter hit eight 3-pointers and scored 24 points, power broker Joseph Jones added 20 and Acie Law impressed with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Aggie fans are drunk with euphoria over this victory but frankly, A & M isn't that good. They will be a handful in conference play but top-10 material in the country? No. Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament? Maybe, but not guaranteed. That said, send coach Billy Gillespie this way, any day.
Ninth-ranked Kansas beat Detroit easily, 63-43, as the Jayhawks' defense was stifling, holding the Titans to 30 percent shooting. Guard Mario Chalmers was the only offensive power for KU, lighting up Detroit for 22 points. Brandon Rush was next in line with nine. The Jayhawks are good and can be better but it just seems something is missing this season, that they aren't their normal dominant selves.
UNLV beat Bobby Knight and Texas Tech, 74-66, preventing the Red Raiders' coach from passing Dean Smith on the all-time win's list. Jarrius Jackson and Martin Zeno, the top offensive threats on the team, came through by scoring 22 points each in the loss but the Rebels had more balanced distribution scoring in earning the victory.
Texas beat Centenary, 76-66, behind freshman phenom Kevin Durant's 21 points and 17 rebounds. Mr. One and Done may not go first overall in next June's NBA draft but if not, it is only because he doesn't play center like Greg Oden, the expected top pick, of Ohio State does. Durant is, it says here, every bit as good as Oden is at his position, a future all star, a Carmelo Anthony-type scorer.
Oklahoma smacked SMU, 82-42, as junior center Longar Longar scored 20 points. Longar is a weak rebounder, having been in double digits only twice but he knows how to put the ball in the basket. Freshman guard Tony Crocker, remember that name, added 14 points. Crocker is inconsistent as many freshmen are, but he has had some bust out games against lesser competition. The talent for him is there.
Baylor beat North Carolina A & T, 91-71, by shooting a blazing 57 percent from the floor, pounding the Aggies on the boards, 43-19, and by getting 19 points from guard Henry Dugat and 18 from forward Kevin Rogers. The Bears are off to a strong start this season because they get and make good shots. How they stack up against stronger competition remains to be seen.
Buzzer beater...Spoke to Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News this week about Colorado basketball, the type of coach it should interview, the Big 12 and Bobby Knight. Look for that piece Monday. Will cover Big 12 basketball through the weekend.
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