whitesox61382

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Sep 29, 2006 -> 04:56 PM) Practically sounds like an iu lock at this point... But if going to u of i is what it takes to convince rose to come to DePaul, I'm all for it... I certainly wouldn't call Gordon to IU a lock at this point. Based on the most recent article I read about his visit to Bloomington, there were some mixed reviews. I said that Gordon would be at the UofI next year about a month ago, but I would say that it is 50/50 at this point. If Gordon does stick to the UofI, than that will certainly knock IU out of the running for Rose since it appears to be a package deal. Although, if Gordon does pick IU that doesn't mean that Rose is a lock for IU. You can usually get a good idea of where recruits are heading based on insider articles, but I must say that it is hard to tell with these two at this point. I still believe that Memphis is the leader for Rose if Gordon doesn't go to IU, and IU is the leader if Gordon does pick IU.

QUOTE(chimpy2121 @ Sep 28, 2006 -> 01:21 PM) FSU just landed Soloman Alabi, a 5 star, 7-1 center. This is a pretty good class for them. They also landed 5 star Forward (turned 4 star after he commited) Julian Vaughn (6-9). Some good size with those recruits. Got to see Parsons and Alabi play this summer for the Nike Team Florida. Was watching Parsons more because he was a potential IU recruit, but got a little taste of Alabi as well. Parsons carried the team and is going to be a hell of a player at Florida. The one word I would use to describe Alabi is RAW, but you can describe most high school big man as raw. His length was evident on the defensive side with a couple of blocks and a handful of altered shots. He also did a decent job rebounding, but his offensive game needs a lot of work. I was surprised to find out that he was a 5 star recruit. I thought that was a little high for a kid with no offensive game. Still, you can't teach height and with time I am sure that he will develop into a very good college player. You have to give Hamilton credit, he is a great recruiter. He has stolen few recruits away from IU(Wafer, Romero, AJohnson) over the years. He just needs to get the talent to play up to their potential.

QUOTE(He_Gawn @ Sep 24, 2006 -> 09:14 PM) I disagree on the back up running game statement. We have a young man named Munir Prince that is probably the fastest guy on the team. I dont understand why he isn't getting some touches with Walker struggling as bad as he is. Oh well, we shall see. I know about Prince, but as Wedge mentioned he doesn't look ready to get semi-regular(consistant back-up) PT at this point. He does have great speed, but speed alone can only get you so far at the college level. A back-up with speed who isn't ready makes for a bad back-up at this point. Aldridge might also be good, but we will have to wait and see how he comes back from his knee injury. As someone who has had two ACL surguries, I can tell you first hand that some athletes never fully recover unfortunately. Lets hope Aldridge isn't one of those guys because he has a good mix of power and speed, and has the ability to be a good every down back. I wouldn't mind seeing some of Schmidt in the backfield as well. I am not sure how he is adjusting to the college game, but the kid can run for his size and dominated high school ball. He could be that big Mike Alstott type back. Your comment plays into my overall point though, there are some talented freshman on the roster, but most aren't ready to contribute against top competition. Add that to the fact that the junior and sophomore classes are extremely weak, and you have a serious depth problem. However, back-to-back top 5 recruiting classes will likely help that. ND fans just need to be patient.

I am a huge ND fan, but I must admit that this is not a national championship calibur team. This team has so many holes that it isn't funny, and it is mostly because of two terrible recruiting classes back to back(current juniors and sophomores on the roster). This team has no veteran depth at any position because of these two recruiting classes. On offense - The running game has been awful. Walker is a decent back, but he doesn't have great speed or the ability to consistantly break tackles. He needs a good line to create holes and maximize his strength which is his vision and patience. ND doesn't have a change of pace type backup that has the ability to break a big run on the outside, or a big back that can break tackles and get good yardage up the middle. The O-line has been terrible, especially the guards, and this was suppose to be one of the strengths of the team(with four returning starters). There are very few running lanes(always seems to be a D-lineman in the backfield) and Quinn is getting hit like his freshman year. Finally, they don't have a consistant third receiver. On defense - The D-line has struggled to consistantly get pressure on the QB. They are also undersized up the middle, so there are often big running lanes in the middle of the field. The linebackers have been bad. Crum is the only decent LB that they have. Thomas is a good athlete, but at times looks lost which makes sense since he was just moved to LB. The other LB position has been none existent(I don't even know who the other starter is). Finally, the secondary has shown no improvement from last year. You still have two run stopping safeties that look lost in coverage, and two average at best CB that struggle to match up with good receivers. Every team the Irish have played have been able to consistantly move the ball(GT to a lesser extent), and only their own mistakes have slowed them down(see PSU and MSU). Special teams - The most impressive player on ND this year has been the punter. The guy has got a real leg and consistantly averages 50+ yards a punt and minimizes returns giving him a great net average. It is sad to admit that, but he has been a nice weapon from a field position standpoint. The place kicker has been terrible. I have no confidence in him what so ever. He has missed a handful of FG, and missed an extra point at a critical time yesterday. The return game has been solid with Grimes and West on kickoffs consistantly averaging mid twenties on their returns, and Z is good although he seems to have a case of the fumbles/muffs of late. I hope for the best for ND and would love to see them win out and slip into the national championship game(will need some help), but realistically I see this team losing one game in an upset(maybe Purdue or Navy) and losing at USC at the end of the season, and missing out on a BCS game. The good news is that help is on the way. ND has a very talented freshman class who should improve the overall athletism of the Irish, plus it appears that ND is in line for another top ten recruiting class with a good shot at a top five class. The end of this year might not end as pretty as hoped, and next year ND might go through some growing pains with a young team, but ND appears to be on the right track. Sorry about the length, but I just needed to vent and give a realistic opinion of the Irish from a true Irish fan.

QUOTE(Jimbo @ Sep 22, 2006 -> 06:55 PM) read my previous screwup few posts up Sorry about that. Posted without catching up on the thread. You are referring to Rose and not Gordon. In the case of Rose, KU has a legit chance of landing him although my gut tells me that Memphis is the favorite at this point.

QUOTE(Jimbo @ Sep 22, 2006 -> 05:01 PM) the recruiting class looks pretty dry to me. If gordon goes to IU or even KU, that would leave a class with barely anyone making the top 100. I know you can find diamonds in the rough,, but Illiniois is just removed from a national title game. I belive Weber gives up too easilly on the top dogs. KU??? What makes you think that Gordon might end up at KU? KU didn't even make Gordon's final 5 before he committed to UI? I can't say that I have seen Gordon mention KU as a possible option once over the past 6 months(since he began having 2nd thoughts about his commitment to UI). He has said that it is between UI and IU. Are you a KU fan living a pipedream? I was on record as stating that Gordon will almost certainly be at UI next year, but after reading a few articles I am beginning to think that it is 50/50. My gut tells me that he will still be at UI, but IU has certainly made up some ground and I wouldn't be surprised if he did pick IU. Personally, I think Rose is a much bigger get for IU than Gordon(not that I wouldn't love Gordon). Next year, IU will have only one scholarship PG in Bassett who was a boardline top 100 recruit and hasn't seen a minute of college action. IU needs a PG who can make an instant impact, and Rose is their last shot. If IU loses out on Gordon they are still the favorites to land top 100 SG Jones, plus they already have a commitment from another SG in Ellis. Unfortunately, if IU loses out on Gordon, than I don't think they will get Rose. chsxfan, Alford and good recruiter often don't go together in the same sentence. Including this years current class, Alford has landed only 1 four star recruit in the past 5 years(obviously no 5 star recruits), and none of this years recruits are on the current top 150 list. I realize that recruiting services aren't perfect and you don't have to be a 4-5 star recruit to be a good college player, but it is hard to build a team that can consistantly contend for a Big 10 championship/make a run in the NCAA Tourny without consistantly landing top recruits. This is the main reason why I didn't want Alford to end up at IU. He has a mediocre track record of recruiting. It is nice to see that they do have 2 four star recruits in their 2008 class, and Alford usually does a good job of getting maximum talent out of his players, which usually makes Iowa pretty competitive.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Sep 1, 2006 -> 03:31 AM) Dar Tucker's two leaders are now IU and ILL. I like our chances as Gordon plays a similar position to Tucker. http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/con....asp?cid=577465 Your an IU fan Aboz? Unfortunately, Teague decided to go to Wake as I expected. This is a huge loss for IU considering the need at PG after this season. IU made Rose's top 5, but I do not like their chances one bit. They are trying to get involved with Malcolm Delaney, but he currently favors VT and the late start won't help IU's cause. I was going to say that IU could have a very good recruiting class if they could land Teague and Tucker, along with current verbals(Ellis and McGee), plus another big man(Leuer, Blair, Holman), but they lost out on Teague(probably the most important of the bunch). With that said, Sampson is in line to land a top 25 calibur recruiting class(with an outside chance of a top 10 class) in his 1st year, and considering the recruiting restrictions that is pretty impressive in my book.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Aug 29, 2006 -> 07:21 PM) Looks like Jeff Teague is going to chose IU over several colleges including SIU. Oh well, his loss. When he comes here next year, he'll find out that he made the wrong choice. Where did you hear this? I know that he wasn't "blown away" by his east coast visits to Wake Forest or BC, but I don't think that makes him an IU lock. In fact, I would say that Wake is probably the favorite at this point. Besides, SIU isn't even among his favorites. As an IU fan, I think Teague is a must get. IU will be very thin at PG next year with Calloway graduating, so getting a blue chip PG in this class is important and outside of Teague IU is not looking good with any other top PG. Rose - It was a big surprise to me that IU made his top 5 list. Although, I would say that their chances of landing Rose are less than ten percent. Personally, I would probably rather have Teague anyways. Teague isn't that far off talent wise(his stock has been soaring after an impressive summer) and is likely a four year player. Plus it is always good to keep top instate players. Gordon - This will never die. Poor kid. He will be at UI next year barring a huge change.

QUOTE(daa84 @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 05:13 PM) i realize he good defensively and handles the pitchers, but i want no part of a guy with a .312 OBP and a .375 SLG in the bandbox at charlotte on the big league team... I am not a greedy man. All I want out of my back up catcher is good defense and a .250+ BA. I think he would be a perfect option next year. Relatively young, cheap, right handed, good defensively, ok bat, puts the ball into play, ect. The Sox haven't had that in a back up catcher for a while. It would be nice to have a catcher that can actually throw out a runner every now and again.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Aug 12, 2006 -> 08:52 AM) Aside from Brandon Allen and Vernon Carter he has more power potential than anyone in the system. I don't care how much power potential a guy has when he strikes out almost once every three AB and has a career minor league BA under two-fifty(including this season). danman, that list looks almost identical to a list I would put together(few minor changes here and there). It appears that we aren't too much different in our thinking. The only difference is that I would probably have Hernandez(P) over Omogrosso simple because he has shown two years of success and better peripherals. Cassel is a guy that I didn't mention who I am going to keep an eye on.

QUOTE(danman31 @ Aug 12, 2006 -> 03:03 AM) The articles will be up within the week. We're almost done. They have to be out before next Friday because I go back to college then and I won't be able to post them after that. This is the problem we had. We had a hard time picking the list. Considering the difficulty and controversy on the list this time around we decided to defend ourselves in the written descriptions. Hopefully it explains a bit of why we put certain guys in certain spots. I'll tell you we had McCulloch at 4 and in previous years we never would have dreamed of putting a recent draft pick in the top 5. Broadway got 5 in the preseason list, but that was after success with Winston-Salem and the system was already pretty thin with the offseason trades. Lucy didn't make our list due to the same reasons you said. He was considered but quickly shot down. I personally wanted Lopez considering defensive skills, age, and production at AA. We disagreed, as with most players, and he was a few off the list. If we all liked a prospect of ours he was in the top 5, but as has been mentioned there aren't more than 5 guys we all liked. Hernandez is pushing it as relievers better absolutely dominate in the lower levels in order to get consideration. Oneli Perez was mentioned in the same vein, but age went against him. Liotta was firmly on the list, again some of us wanted him higher than he ended up (mostly me). Ryan Rodriguez has never been on our prospect lists so he wasn't going to be put on a list after a bad half year. Valido was a tough one. Personally, I've never liked him, but don't know where he sits at health wise, etc. What's going on with him this year? The question marks really dropped him off the list. Hernandez and Gomes were a case of us getting fed up with talents getting highly rated and not performing. Hernandez hasn't hit past rookie ball and maybe should have made the list, but we were down on the Phil Rogers hype machine (Salvador Sanchez lol). Gomes has had a bad year, there's no reason he should be on the list with 0 professional production, at least Hernandez hit rookie ball and is a catcher. Finally, Carter made the list pretty highly. It's almost contradictory to have Carter in the middle of the list and have Hernandez not on the list. Both succeeded at rookie ball and neither has proven himself at Kanny. The difference is Carter is a power hitter and hasn't failed in the full season at Kanny like Hernandez is doing this year. Power potential plays well on our lists as we even gave Collaro a spot towards the bottom. Hopefully that answers your questions lol, that ended up being longer than I intended. Nothing like watching Contreras pitching a gem to make time fly. Let me start out by saying that I don't envy you guys when it comes to putting together this list, especially with such a dry minor league system. Also, I have only seen a handful of these prospects play in person, and a lot of my knowledge is based on stats and scouting reports. I also understand that people consider certain skills/abilities more important than others. With that said, I do have to disagree with the list in a couple of areas. Lopez - with the Sox weak system he should almost certainly be on the list. He has shown the ability to hit for a solid average and put the ball into play in the past. He was rushed a bit through the system(shouldn't have been in AAA at twenty-one last season) and was a little overmatched, but he has settled in nicely at AA and is having a very good year. He will never be a good everyday middle infielder, but he certainly has a chance to be a solid pesky utility infielder(Cario type player). Hernandez - once again I understand that most people don't take minor league relievers seriously, but in a weak system like the Sox he has to be on the list. He has a plus arm and is putting up excellent peripheral numbers for the second straight year. At twenty-two he is right where he should be on the progression chart for a good prospect. Rodriguez - I will admit that I am a Rodriguez fan. Before his arm injury, he had some of the best pure stuff in the system. He had an excellent second half of last year which should have put him on the radar for good prospect status, especially when you consider the time frame needed to recover from an injury. I was a little disappointed by his season since I was hoping that he would build on his strong finish last year. I can understand why he wasn't on the list, but you guys should keep an eye on this guy. Not sure about his stuff after the injury, but before it he was a lefty consistantly in the low 90's, with a plus breaking ball(curve), good command, and a great groundball/flyball ratio. Valido - coming into this season I thought he was the most important prospect in the Sox system. He has great potential, had a very good season last year, and is really the Sox only true middle infield prospect. I wouldn't blame you guys for keeping him off the list considering the season he has had, but I don't think the Sox should completely give up on him. Hernandez - is a tough case, but based on rookie ball success(which shouldn't count for much), weakness of the system, position, age, and OK numbers at low A ball I think he should be towards the bottom of the list. Gomes - I can understand him being left off, although he has had a little better luck in low A ball. Collaro - there is no reason why this guy should be on the list. He shouldn't even be on a top 50 list. Come on guys. Have you seen his numbers at AA this season. They are sickening. Sure he has some power potential, but he has never hit for average and has struck out at an alarming rate at every stop. Guys like him have almost no chance of sticking in the big leagues. A guy like Lopez is ten times more likely to make it in the majors then Collaro. I personally think it is a mistake to have him on the list, especially ahead of most of the guys listed above that aren't on the list. I think you guys put way too much emphasize on power, and not enough on the ability to make contact, plate disipline, or the ability to hit for average. Thats just my two cents. Remember that I am far from an expert and sympathize with you when trying to put together such a list.

QUOTE(JimH @ Aug 4, 2006 -> 07:51 PM) Actually I came up with 20 fairly easily although it was tough to get to 25. Now of course some (many?) of these guys won't have long major league careers but they are all guys who have a decent chance of making the big leagues. Whether it's with the White Sox is another story. In no particular order: Josh Fields, 3B Jerry Owens, LF Casey Rogowski, 1B Chris Stewart, C Ryan Sweeney, OF Charlie Haeger, RHP Boone Logan, LHP Sean Tracey, RHP Chris Getz, 2B Lance Broadway, RHP Lucas Harrell, RHP Adam Russell, RHP Wes Whisler, LHP Donny Lucy, C Jack Egbert, RHP Kyle McCulloch, RHP Oneli Perez, RHP Aaron Cunningham, OF Ricky Brooks, RHP Brian Omogrosso, RHP Two other guys to keep an eye on who are turning some heads at low levels ... OF Archie Gilbert at Great Falls and a very young SS in their Dominican Summer league team by the name of Migeul Luna. That is a good list. It is hard to find 20 deserving prospects in such a thin system. I am not sure if I would include Lucy on that list. A 24 year old "prospect" putting up mediocre numbers(.262/7/31 .726 OPS 14 errors) in high A ball shouldn't be on a top 20 list, especially when he has never put up good numbers at any level. I think there are some guys that you are forgeting that should definately be on that list as well. Pedro Lopez(SS) is putting together a nice season since being demoted to AA(.322/4/26 .822 OPS). He is still only 22 years old and might make a decent utility infielder in the future. Hernandez(P) is another guy that certainly belongs on the list. He is a reliever so he doesn't get much attention, but he has dominated since day 1 of pro ball. He is putting up another solid year in high A ball(54 IP 44 H 26 BB 68 SO 2.17 ERA) and at 22 is right where he should be on the progression track. You also seem to ignore highly thought of prospects that have struggled this season. Liotta(P), Rodriguez(P), Valido(SS), Hernandez©, and Gomes(OF) should also get some consideration despite their struggles this season. Finally, I would put Carter(3B) on that list as well despite the fact that it is hard to project guys in rookie ball(especially after struggling in A ball earlier). This just goes to show how weak the Sox system truely is. Good luck trying to rank these guys.

My guess is that the package centered around BMac and Fields. The Marlins want young major league ready talent and won't trade Willis unless they are blown away. So an impressive package that might interest the Marlins would probably include both of those guys.

I haven't seen any threads about this article. According to Jon Heyman's article(The Daily Scoop) on the SI website the White Sox were after Dontrelle Willis. Here is the quote: "The White Sox are another team that's recently made a run at Willis, offering what one executive termed 'an impressive package.' They, too, were rebuffed." Pretty interesting stuff. Personally, I think Willis is a little overrated, but a young lefty with his arm would certainly be an upgrade with the way the Sox starting staff has pitched of late. I wonder what that "impressive package" consisted of? KW continues to fly under the radar. Here is the link. It is on the second page of the article at the bottom. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writ...etenders/1.html

QUOTE(VAfan @ Jul 18, 2006 -> 09:18 PM) I never understand this "logic." If Josh Fields is BA's choice for the top AAA 3B, then unless they've completely overrated him, his value is only going to increase in the future as he makes it to the major leagues and gains experience. Take Francisco Liriano as an extreme example. He once was traded, along with Joe Nathan and Boof Bonser for 1 year of service from AJ Pierzynski. Now that he's in the majors, he's probably the most valuable pitcher in all of baseball. The White Sox are going to need to develop some players from within if they are going to keep their payroll within acceptable bounds. Fields is likely to be one of those players (even if he'll never be better than Joe Crede is now). In some cases you can expect a player to get better as they get older, but that certainly isn't always the case. For example, Joe Borchard put together a great first full season in the minors at AA. At that point, he was considered one of the top prospects in baseball and his value was as high as ever(untouchable according to most Sox fans). According to you, his value should have increased as he reached the majors, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. After his first full season he could have been traded straight up for almost any player in the majors(except for a few dozen superstars), but in the end all the Sox got for him was Thorton and even that was generous. Another example is Brian Anderson. Do you think he has improved his trade value with his performance in the majors at this point? Most prospects struggle when they first reach the majors and their trade value suffers a little, so your "logic" that Fields trade value will increase if they hold onto him and let him play in the majors will probably be incorrect. Prospects are like stocks, you need to sell them high and not get too greedy and wait to long. When you consider that Fields really has no place to play, and the fact that there are two big concerns with him that don't bode well for him in the majors(plate disipline and defense), than I certainly don't have a problem with trading him especially if it helps lead to another WS. As far as your Liriano example, that certainly is an extreme example. Around this time, fans of contenders who don't do their research are always afraid of trading the next big prospect for short-term help(Shilling, Bagwell, Kazmir, ect as other examples), but what they don't know or care to research is the HUNDREDS of other prospects that are traded away and never amount to anything. Every year ESPN comes out with an article that directly talks about this and gives a percentage of prospects traded away that ever amount to everyday players yet alone superstars(I suggest you read it if you are affraid of trading prospects - I was just like you many years back before I read that article), and the number is VERY small to say the least. Besides, proven major league talent is always worth more than unproven minor league talent. I agree that the Sox need to develop so of their own players to help supplement their current players, but I don't think Fields is one of those guys. He plays a position already filled by a young talented player(even if his agent is Boras). Furthermore, I still think Sweeney is a better overall prospect as a corner outfielder. Finally, if you look at my trade purposal, I have the Sox getting two young prospects that fill more important needs(catcher and pitching) while trading from an area of strength(outfield and third base). There is a good chance that if the Sox do trade one of their starters that it will include the young talent that you are looking for.

I haven't read the entire thread so someone might have come up with a similar deal, but what about a huge blockbuster trade with the following players: Sox get: Linebrink(RP) Cameron(CF) Kottaras© AA Carrillo(SP) AA Padres get: Garcia(SP) Anderson(CF) Fields(thirdbase) AAA Why the Padres do this deal? They get a quality middle of the rotation starter who will likely see his ERA drop significantly with a move from the AL and top hitters parks to the NL and top pitchers parks. Quality starting pitching is in high demand at the deadline and Garcia is one of the best available pitchers(making them stronger and other teams potentially weaker). He is also signed past this season which means that he will be more than just a month rental. They also get potentially their CF of the future in Anderson. He can contribute right away. He is already playing GG calibur D and it appears that his bat is slowly coming around. They also get their third baseman of the future in Fields. With the year that Fields is having he might be able to contribute more than the Padres current collection of third baseman in the majors. So the Padres get two potential cornerstones and a quality middle of the rotation starter. Why the Sox do this deal? They get one of the top right handed relievers in the game. This guy has been lights out in each of the past three seasons. He will drastically upgrade the talent in the Sox pen. They also get a veteran CF who plays similar D to Anderson but provides more offense at this point in his career. They also get a top catching prospect, which is something the Sox minor league system really lacks. I really like Kottaras's plate disipline, which leads me to believe that he will be a solid major leaguer. They also get a top pitching prospect and a guy that they targeted in last years draft. So the Sox get an upgrade in the pen and CF, while also potentially getting two young cornerstone type players. Both teams upgrade their major league teams while also filling needs for the future. Salary wise the deal is almost even with Cameron and Linebrink almost equalling Garcia's salary. It is highly unlikely to happen, but I think it is a fair deal that works for both teams.

QUOTE(whitesoxin @ Jul 17, 2006 -> 04:52 AM) Hummel and Martin and the SYF Players came in second. BTW, Hummel has a news conference tomorrow afternoon and is expected to decide between IU and Purdue. My "sources" tell me it's probably going to be Purdue with Moore, but before Sampson was ruled inelligible, he came and visited Hummel and Martin at my lunch table. Purdue is putting together quite a recruiting class for next year(this coming from an IU fan). They already got Johnson(a raw center with good upside), they just got Moore(the one guy from Indiana that I really wanted besides Gordon), and I am also hearing wispers that they will also get Hummel(not as high on him as others) as well. I hate to admit it, but I did think Painter was a good hire for Purdue and that he would start getting good recruits in a couple of years. It is hard to fault Sampson at this point though. He was already behind the eight ball with most of the top recruits from Indiana because he was only recently hired, but you have to wonder where IU is going after losing three top instate recruits to your arch-rival. In other recruiting news, not a big surprise but Benn(WR) announced that ND is a heavy favorite in a recent article(I know that Illinois fans really wanted this guy). According to rivals, Benn has "low" interest in Illinois at this point. It appears that Weis will add yet another impressive offensive recruit, now if he can only land a few top defensive recruits(especially DT).

That is certainly the big question. I had little doubt that Weis would be able to recruit top offensive players with his track record in the NFL, but in order to take ND to the elite status he will need to get defensive players to match the offensive talent. He did a good job with the secondary in last years recruiting class, but really needs to pull in 2 good DT and a couple of LBs. I am not one of those ND fans that claim that Weis is the 2nd coming after a solid season and 1 great recruiting class, especially if he can't pull some solid defensive players for this class, but I must say that ND appears to be heading down the right track. Plus it doesn't hurt to have 3 top 100 prospects verbal this early in the recruiting season, even if they are all on the offensive side of the ball. QUOTE(Rex Hudler @ May 11, 2006 -> 12:37 AM) If only they could get some highly related guys on the other side of the ball.

As expected, Duval Karama(WR) commits to ND. Not much of a surprise. If they can land Benn as well, than they will have some serious pass catching weapons with the current #1 rated TE(Ragone), top 100 prospect(Karama), and #1 rated WR(Benn).

I stated earlier that Benn is a heavy lean towards ND and I still feel that he is ND's to loss, but word on the street is that his teammate/friend DT Austin(rivals top 100) wasn't impressed with the ND campus and could be heading elsewhere(unfortunate since ND really needs DT). Some fell that the two are a package deal, although I recently read an article that said that Benn would go to a different school then Austin. However, I read another article that hinted that Benn wanted to be the main man from day 1(one of the reasons he like ND with the loss of their top 2 receivers next year). Some have read that to mean that if fellow top 100 recruit Karama commits to ND that Benn might look elsewhere. It appears that Karama is a near lock for ND, and he could be a real get(6'5 210lb 4.5 40). It will be interesting to see how things unfold, and makes you wonder about what information is legit. Personally, I am not to worried about receivers since I have a feeling that Weis will have to beat them away with a stick in the near future with his offensive mind and top QB recruit. If Weis can get the defensive players to match the offensive talent he is bringing in, than watch out. ND is appartently getting in the thick of it with a very talented DT from Florida. He appears to be leaning towards Florida, but he said that ND has made up a lot of ground and is going to make his decision tough. I love recruiting season, especially when ND make the final list of so many top prospects. QUOTE(maggsmaggs @ May 1, 2006 -> 02:42 AM) Also, they have a real good chance to add Arrelious Benn who is one of the top two WRs for the 07 class. Illinois in the mix as well. Even though I am an ILL fan, ND >>>>> ILL.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ May 3, 2006 -> 02:57 AM) 1. So he doesn't want the best player? Yeah that's great to hear I'm sure if your an Indiana fan. 2. KELVIN SAMPSON wants the best true student athletes?? :rolly 1) Obviously he didn't mean it like that. I think you missed the word "just" in that sentence. He is certainly going to go after the top players, but he wants quality individuals and students as well. You can take it with a grain of salt though since most coaches say that, but few actually follow up on it. 2) It will be interesting to see how Sampson adjusts to the atmosphere at IU. The academics are a little better at IU opposed to OU, so we will see if Sampson continues to go after JC players with checkered backgrounds. IU fans obviously want good players, but good character as well, which is the reasoning behind the statement you highlighted. Only time will tell.

QUOTE(Palehosefan @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 02:24 AM) Prospects are still somewhat enamored with Friedgen at Maryland. He's led MD to a 31-18 record the last 4 years, with the last two seasons at 5-6 with no QB. He's supposed to be an offensive genius, but that luster is wearing off somewhat after the past two season's dismal QB play. I wouldn't be suprised to see Benn end up at Illinois. Especially with Vontae Davis at Illinois, as well as Juice. You have a teammate, great recruiting coach, and a 5 star caliber QB recruiting you, not bad. The Illini have had as much of a claim on the DC area as any other school in the nation recently. Not to bring down the hope of Illinois football fans, but most of the inside articles I have read indicates that Benn is favoring ND at this point(a lot can happen/change over the next couple of months though). Furthermore, with Classen giving his verbal today most experts expect the flood gates to open in terms of top recruits committing to ND, especially offensive recruits. Benn is in South Bend for the Blue-Gold game along with a handful of other top recruits and word on the street is that Classen is already making a pitch to Benn and other top recruits(this weekend). Based on all the information I have gathered, I would be extremely surprised if Benn ends up anywhere but ND. Take it with a grain of salt if you like. I know that finishing 2nd in terms of a top recruit is like kissing your sister, but it is certainly a step in the right direction for Illinois to make the final list for top recruits like Benn. Who knows, maybe he will surprise us all and go to Illinois. Whoever gets him will be very lucky, because the video I have seen of this guy makes him look like a man amongst boys. His combo of size and speed is sick.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Mar 28, 2006 -> 10:12 PM) I don't see it. This is a horrid move by IU. This guy is a loser when it comes to recruiting and isn't a very good head coach. I don't see him being better than Alford and at least Alford is a fan favorite. If your going to get rid of Davis you should have gotten someone better (Alford wouldn't have been that guy, but he'd have been better than Sampson). Just wait till you guys get sanctioned after a few years of his crap. It appears that I am in the minority when it comes to liking this hiring. I don't understand how people can question his track record from a wins and loses perspective? The guy has an active streak of 9 straight 20+ win season in a major conference. He took a mediocre basketball program and made them into a perenial top 25 calibur program. He made the NCAA Tourny in 10 of his 11 years at OU. He was NATIONAL coach of the year TWICE. He has made it to the Big 12 championship game in 5 of the past 8 years. The only thing really missing on that resume is a National Championship and to a lesser extent consistant success in the Tourny. I was all for getting Crean or Few, but to say their track record is better then Sampson holds no water. From a wins and loses perspective, they are very similar with the BIG difference being that Sampson has accomplished his record in a major conference while Crean and Few constantly take advantage of weak conferences. Furthermore, their Tourny track records are both very similar to Sampson, so anyone who says that they have better overall track records is lying to themselves and not looking at the facts(and remember that this is coming from a guy who really wanted Crean or Few). I regards to Alford, it would have been the easy hire and well liked by most IU fans, but it would have not done anything about the mediocre. Alford would be granted a longer lease, but his track record compared to Sampson pails in comparison. Furthermore, I side with Aboz in the recruiting matter. If Alford has such a big name in IU, than why don't any of the top high school kids in Indiana go to Iowa? Yes, it would be easier to recruit Indiana kids at IU, but Alford's recruiting track record has shown little ability to take advantage of the Indiana hotbed of high school talent. The fact is that Alford is a poor recruiter and a mediocre X's and O's guy, and I like the fact that Greenspan took the road less traveled because the chances of Sampson leading IU back to the promise land are far greater despite Alford's popularity among IU fans(most true IU fans that know their basketball didn't want to see Alford at IU because of this). I realize that IU fans have high expectations and want to get back to the dominating days of the early/mid Knight era(or similar to the current Duke run of the past decade plus), but you have to take baby steps and accept reality. IU has been stuck in mediocre over the past decade(end of the Knight era and most of the MD era) when an appereance in the top 25 or getting past the 1st round of the Tourny was something to cellebrate. Sampson has proven that he can take a program stuck in mediocre and take them to that next level. Maybe not the Duke dominate level, but a program that is constantly mentioned as one of the 10-20 programs that tend to consistantly have the talent to challenge for a National Championship. Chisoxfn, you know that I always respect your opinion, but you are simple incorrect about Sampson's recruiting ability. In fact, anyone who knows a ton about college basketball will tell you that Sampson is a tireless recruiter who constantly brings top talent to OU despite that fact that it is tradionally a football school with poor high school basketball instate. Look no further then his current recruiting class with features 4 4-star recruits and 1 5-star recruit, and will likely end up being a top 5 recruiting class. You can question some of the character of the recruits that he has brought in(his juco recruiting probably won't work at IU), but the talent level is hard to question. With all that said(sorry about the length but I am a huge IU fan), there are some concerns. 1) His style - He is known for a sluggish defensive struggle that can be painful to watch(it wins games though). While it might work well in a league such as the Big 10, it won't bring a lot of buzz and excitement. 2) Possible NCAA violations - Personally, I think his violations are a joke based on what I have read about them, and I won't be surprised if the committe desides that the school punishment was just enough. However, the violations could affect IU and bring a black cloud over a relatively clean program. 3) Character of recruits - He has recruited a lot of questionable character players at OU(especially for the JC ranks), and I hope that he will improve the quality of the character of recruits that he brings in now that he is at a school with a better academic reputation. 4) In-state recruiting - This was Davis's downfall, and Sampson needs to realize that Indiana(unlike Oklahoma) is a hotbed for blue chip recruits. He can't let recruits like May, Oden, Conley, Carney, Davis, McRoberts, ect consistantly slip out of state. 5) Race - I applaud Greenspan for hiring another minority despite being in a predominately white dominated area that can at times not be friendly to minorities. He took the tough road and hired the guy he felt was best for the job despite race. Unfortunately, that means that he will have a shorter lease(compared to someone like Alford) and will need to win right away to make people forget his race(winning is the cure to most racial tension). IU fans need to realize that IU doens't have the luster that they think it does. There is a ton of pressure to coach there and expectations that even coach K might not be able to reach. Short of a list of the top coaches in the game(coach K, Williams, Izo, Olsen, ect), of which none were realistically considering IU, Sampson is a pretty big name hire in my book and gives me some hope as an IU fan when everything is realistically considered.

Thanks for the replies. It is good to see that Haigwood is quietly flying under the radar and putting together a solid season. I am also not giving up complete hope on either Malone or Honel. I think that Malone can be an effective lefty reliever, and will probably get a shot at some point if he stays healthy. Another guy who I think can be a real sleeper is Rodriguez. I have noticed that he has pitched very well and been very consistant over the past month plus. I remember that he had a plus arm from the left side before his injury, and it appears that he is starting to regain his stuff if the numbers are any indication. On the whole, it appears that the Sox system is on the way up again and could be in the top 10 by the end of the season.

Haigwood with another dominating performance. Can anyone give me an accurate scouting report on his stuff? BHAM? Rex? Anyone else? Thanks!