Arthur Update
Obsessed . . . I’m not obsessed . . . I’M NOT!
Here’s the latest from Dave Telep, the top recruiting analyst at Scout.com, writing for Foxsports.net:
* Have the Phog Blog come to you! * Subscribe to CommentsDarrell Arthur (Scout.com No. 12) is the highest rated player still on the board in 2006. Kansas, Baylor, Texas and now LSU are hoping to snare him. LSU went into his high school last week and Oklahoma is making its pitch to him this week.
12 Responses to “Arthur Update”
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April 21st, 2006 at 6:23 pm
See this espn.com report on academic fraud and other violations that led the NCAA to cite KU for “lack of institutional control.” As a former Athletic Department employee, I must say I am not surprised in the least.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2417118
April 23rd, 2006 at 3:12 pm
I hate to say this, but I was right. This quote comes from Scout.com and was included in their report on this weekend’s Kingwood Classic. Expect an announcement before the end of the month!
“The Darrell Arthur Saga has taken another turn. The LSU Tigers are firmly in the mix. Arthur said that he’s visiting Baton Rouge next weekend. The talk on the streets at Kingwood pegs LSU as the favorite. Arthur said he’s stilling looking at Kansas, Oklahoma and Baylor. How strong are they? Strong enough that John Brady hasn’t even been spotted out here and they are the behind the scenes leaders. That’s pretty strong.”
April 23rd, 2006 at 3:27 pm
Arthur made a statement late on Saturday at the Kingwood Classic that makes it sound like LSU might get the commitment this weekend (from Scout.com):
“Darrel Arthur will take a visit this weekend to LSU and the 6-foot-9 unsigned senior forward is admittedly leaning towards committing to the Tigers, who have basically told him that he will replace Tyrus Thomas. “They’re pretty much the perfect fit.” Arthur also listed Kansas, Oklahoma and Baylor.”
April 23rd, 2006 at 3:28 pm
By the way, Arthur made this comment with Coach Self in the house! His comments wouldn’t be so definite if he were still on the fence.
April 23rd, 2006 at 3:32 pm
Eric Bossi wrote on Phog.net about Darrell Arthur’s surprise (sort of) appearance:
“There were whispers all week that Arthur was going to show up with Urban DFW Elite and it came to fruition on Saturday when the 6-9 forward from Dallas showed up and put in work. A pessimist would argue that he’s coming off appearances at the McDonald’s All-American game and the Roundball Classic and that he’s got a year of experience on most of the guys he was playing against and that argument certainly holds water. But, nobody can deny that Shady was arguably the best looking prospect in the event on Saturday.
He spun past defenders for dunks, he ran past bigger and smaller guys to finish in transition, brought the ball up on a few occasions and generally did whatever he wanted. It’s always interesting to watch him because his body language almost always suggests that he’d rather be anywhere else, still he dominates when he puts his mind to it. Next weekend that anywhere else he’d rather be is expected to be a visit to LSU. The hot rumor is that Tigers have come from virtually nowhere to leapfrog the pack in the battle for Arthur’s services and that they could score a commitment. Then again, when was the last time that something rumored to happen in his recruitment actually went down as predicted. Stay tuned.”
April 23rd, 2006 at 4:42 pm
“It’s always interesting to watch him because his body language almost always suggests that he’d rather be anywhere else…”
give me a three-star prospect who wants to compete and wants to win over a five-star prospect who gets by on talent alone. tell me again why we want this guy so badly?
April 23rd, 2006 at 6:15 pm
Ditto, nychawk!
I have long suggested that Arthur is not worth it. I would love to see us focus on other prospects, and I’m concerned that our wasted efforts on Arthur might have hurt us with other targets.
I’d like to see us go hard after Tyrel Reed. The kid is a local product that has done nothing but win. He is full of fire . . . and talent. Reed’s a guard, though, and Self is doing a magnificent job of recruiting. I’m sure he has the situation well in hand.
Losing the race for Arthur might actually help us in the long run!
April 23rd, 2006 at 10:11 pm
Why?
Because we need better talent/ability at the low post position. Kaun and Giles don’t have enough experience with basketball, and Darnell Jackson has issues with shot selection and height. KU needs a post player who is is 6′9″ or taller, can clean the glass with the best of them, and it a beast within 8 or 10 feet (kind of like Mario Boggan of OSU) to put them at the next level. I’m rooting for CJ Giles to become that guy, but until then, no matter what the record or ranking, KU will just be a team of guards and a stable of serviceable post players… unless the current ones improve vastly.
April 24th, 2006 at 8:50 am
The Lawrence Journal World reported that KU is pursuing another guard:
“Kansas University’s basketball coaches will be closely watching high school senior basketball shooting guard Cameron Tatum at this weekend’s Kingwood Classic in Texas.
Tatum, a 6-foot-5, 190-pounder from Tucker High in Georgia, recently heard from KU’s coaches. There’s always the chance he could be a late signee if the Jayhawks fail to land Darrell Arthur, 6-9, from Dallas.”
Tatum is the # 13 shooting guard in this year’s class. I guess Bill Self is willing to leave the post slot open and grab another shooter.
April 24th, 2006 at 9:10 am
True, they watched, but Tatum has not perfermed well at Kingwood. Also, with Collins and Morningstar coming in to play next year, I’d be very surprised if they went that route in 2006. Here’s a quote from Eric Bossi on the poor Tatum performance:
“Second verse, same as the first. After a very quiet game on Friday night, the 6-5 wing from Georgia was quiet again on Saturday against Arthur’s DFW team. This time, Self was on hand to watch and the Jayhawks boss couldn’t have been too impressed with Tatum’s output. He does have a nice looking stroke from the three point line and he’s a pretty athletic finisher. But, he didn’t play very aggressively and the only he rarely put the ball on the floor or got into the paint outside of transition opportunities. He’s a guy trying to endear himself to high major programs late in the process and he needs to be a lot more effective than he’s shown in Houston to do that.”
More likely, Self and the boys are focusing on 2007’s Kyle Singler. He’s 6-8 wing player with superior ball handling skills, a nice mid-range game, and good post moves. He’s down to four schools: KU, Duke, UNC, and UCLA. Singler is a top-10 talent in 2007 and would be a perfect complement to Cole Aldrich, the #1 center in 2007 that has already committed to KU. Singler would be a nice recruit to replace Rush when he leaves.
Don’t be surprised if KU takes a long look and Sherron Collins’ teammate at Chicago’s Crane HS, Brandon McGee. He’s a 6-7 combo forward that is improving and rising up the 2007 charts. He flew under the radar a little bit in Sherron’s shadow, but that won’t last long next year!
April 24th, 2006 at 8:39 pm
thanks DHarger for doing the homework on where Slim will most likely end-up. i usually try to tone down my criticism, but this guy’s “interest” in KU has just annoyed me. What a pain!
April 25th, 2006 at 12:38 pm
Here’s another interesting twist. Darrell is friends with OU recruit Scottie Reynolds, a fellow McDonald’s All American. Scottie asked for and received a release from his OU commitment, and the rumor is that he and Slim Shady may both wind up at LSU. National recruiting analyst Dave Telep, in a story about Reynolds’ suitors, says it’s just a rumor:
“Last weekend at the Kingwood Classic, rumors swirled of a package placing Darrell Arthur and Reynolds at LSU. Reynolds has looked into the situation and is close to Arthur but as of Tuesday the situation has not gone much further.”