NCAA Basketball: Under-evaluated headlines of the week (Yurtseven waiting for clearance)
Feb 4, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Temple Owls guard Trey Lowe (11) drives past Tulsa Golden Hurricane guard James Woodard (10) during the first half at Liacouras Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
What storylines, news and notes did we under-evaluate this week in the NCAA basketball world?
It’s now the beginning of October! Recruits are taking visits, teams began fall practices on Friday, coaches are approaching crunch time and fans are increasingly gaining excitement as the regular season is just a month and 10 days away.
Just think, very soon we will be evaluating teams on the court and players will begin to either stand out or become bust material.
We cover all the major headlines and preview the world of college basketball here at Busting Brackets, but every week there will be under-evaluated storylines that need some extra attention.
Sure, they may not be breaking news stories, similar to a monster commitment or a surprising transfer, but they are important in terms of tracking your favorite recruit, team, player or even coach.
In the lead up to the start of the college basketball regular season in mid-November, Busting Brackets will have those under-evaluated headlines covered at the end of every week.
This week we continue with four stories, including a major recruit who is waiting to be cleared, a Temple Owl who won’t play this season and a five-star forward who cut his list down to six schools.
Feb 20, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Shaka Smart reacts against the Baylor Bears during the second half at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center. Baylor won 78-64. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
4. Jase Febres commits to Texas
Shaka Smart doesn’t mess around when it comes to the recruiting trail. He not only has one of the most elite classes in the country in 2016, but he has done a terrific job of keeping Texas high school talents in the state.
His latest addition comes in 2017 as four-star (according to Scout) shooting guard Jase Febres committed to the Longhorns on Friday. Febres had offers from multiple schools, including Auburn, Baylor, North Carolina State and Texas A&M.
The 6’5″, 180 pound guard from Houston, TX is a perfect fit for Smart’s scheme. He can knock down threes at will offensively, but most importantly, is a very solid on-ball defender.
Febres struggled with injuries during the spring, however, he burst onto the scene in the summer. He shot 42 percent from beyond the three point line in the Adidas Gauntlet Summer Championships with Texas PRO. He also showed off his elite leaping ability, athleticism and understanding of the game.
Because of his great size, Febres can get his shot off with nearly any defender guarding him and is capable of defending multiple positions. His versatility and shot making will be awfully valuable for the Longhorns starting next season.
Texas’ 2017 class is beginning to round into form. Beyond Febres’ commitment, Smart has reeled in four-star center Jericho Sims and four-star power forward Royce Hamm. Both Sims and Hamm are ranked in ESPN’s top 100.
In two years, Smart has kept five players (Febres, Hamm, Jarrett Allen, Jacob Young and Andrew Jones) in the state of Texas. That’s impressive success.
Mar 24, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; March Madness logo on a basketball as seen during practice the day before the semifinals of the Midwest regional of the NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
3. Brian Bowen cuts list to six
Earlier this week, five-star 2017 forward Brian Bowen cut his list down to six schools: Arizona, Creighton, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Texas and UCLA.
Bowen surprisingly left Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky and Oregon off his final list despite receiving offers from all four high major schools.
The 6’7″, 190 pound small forward is ranked 13th in ESPN’s top 100, is the top player in the state of Michigan for the class of 2017 and is the 3rd best player at his respective position. The Saginaw, MI native plays his high school basketball at La Lumiere – Bowen nearly led the team to the Dicks High School National Tournament title at Madison Square Garden this past year.
Because Bowen is the cousin of former NBA star and Michigan State talent, Jason Richardson, the Spartans are thought to be the clear favorite for the forwards’ services.
Bowen has denied that narrative though.
“There’s been a lot of rumors that affect my recruitment a little bit, I’m not going to lie,” Bowen said MLive back in mid-September. “People think I’m 100 percent to Michigan State. I love them to death and I’ve been there my whole life and everything — it’s a great coaching staff and everything — but I’m not 100 percent to a school until I commit there.”
Meanwhile, Arizona would love to pair Bowen with the number one recruit in the class of 2017, DeAndre Ayton. That would surely give the Wildcats the top class in the country and would hand them momentum to add a couple more key pieces to put them in the National Championship conversation.
Creighton is also a notable team on Bowen’s list. Greg McDermott has done an excellent job on the transfer market and already has verbals from two 2017 ESPN top 100 prospects, Ty-Shon Alexander and Mitchell Ballock.
Bowen is a special prospect because of his combination of size and length. He is a very versatile player who can score on all three levels, using his physical tools to play from the post and shooting potential to put the ball in the hoop from the mid-range and beyond the arc.
He’ll need to get stronger and develop a more consistent outside shot, but his potential and upside is obvious.
Dec 19, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Temple Owls guard Trey Lowe (11) dribbles the ball up court against the Delaware State Hornets at Liacouras Center. The Temple Owls won 78-63. Mandatory Credit: Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
2. Trey Lowe set to redshirt
The Temple Owls lost four seniors, including three of the team’s top four scorers (Quenton DeCosey, Jaylen Bond and Devin Coleman). Fran Dunphy’s squad was expected to overcome those departures due to the presence of Obi Enechionyia and the developments of Josh Brown and Trey Lowe.
But Temple is already dealing with injury concerns. Josh Brown, who led the AAC in minutes played last season, underwent surgery on a torn Achilles back in late May and his status for the 2016-17 season is up in the air.
Then there’s the most recent news that sophomore guard Trey Lowe will redshirt this upcoming year due to a spine injury that he suffered during a car accident in late February.
“After consultation with our medical team, Trey and his family, the decision has been made for Trey to redshirt the 2016-17 season,” Dunphy said in a statement. “We all feel that this is in the best interest for Trey, as a person, a basketball player and a student.
“We feel at this time that concentrating on his rehabilitation this year will give him the best chance to come back strong and healthy for 2017-18. Trey will still be a big part of the team during this redshirt year, while continuing to work with our medical and strength team in preparation for his full return to action.”
This is definitely a blow to Temple’s already slim NCAA Tournament hopes. Lowe averaged 4.8 points (sixth on the team), 1.5 rebounds and shot 40 percent from the floor last year. His size, 6’6″, gives him the advantage over other guards, as he can attack the rim easily and shoot over smaller wings.
Lowe struggles shooting with his efficiency from beyond the three point arc (26 percent in 2015-16), but the Ewing N.J. native is a 79 percent free throw shooter, which proves he has the potential to take his jumper to the next level.
The Owls will now look to Shizz Alston Jr., Daniel Dingle and four-star freshman Quinton Rose to provide scoring from the two-guard position.
Jan 25, 2015; Raleigh, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack fans cheer prior to a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at PNC Arena. The Fighting Irish won 81-78 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
1. Omer Yurtseven not cleared?
The potential freshman dynamic duo of Omer Yurtseven and Dennis Smith Jr. is currently on hold.
According to the Associated Press, the NCAA has yet to rule the five-star freshman eligible as an amateur for the 2016-17 season.
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“I can’t control it so I’m trying not to think about it,” Yurtseven said to the AP. “Just think about education and basketball, to control, as I said, what you can. Because that’s not in your hands, so if you think about it more, all it’s going to get you is frustration. And I don’t want that.”
Yurtseven can still practice with the team in the meantime, which is excellent news for Mark Gottfried and company. This gives Yurtseven time to gell with his current teammates and most importantly, his point guard, Smith.
The native of Istanbul, Turkey had a contract offer from a European club, but opted to play college basketball. If eventually ruled eligible, Yurtseven is likely to be a one-and-done prospect who has the potential to be a lottery selection in next year’s NBA Draft.
Yes, he’s that good.
The 6’11”, 230 pound big man scored 91 points (91 points!!) in a Turkish U-18 game this past spring.
He scores the basketball at will, as he uses his soft hands, impressive touch and right jump hook to keep the defense on their heels. He can become a dangerous pick-and-roll big because of his ability to dive straight to the cup and his potential as an outside shooter.
Yurtseven can use either hand to finish around the bucket and is already proficient in the mid-range.
While he’s not overly athletic, doesn’t block many shots and isn’t explosive, he moves very well for his size, has decent strength, rebounds well on both ends of the floor and is effective in terms of creating space on the block.
The Wolfpack already have Abdul-Malik Abu, BeeJay Anya and Ted Kapita up front, but they may not have Lennard Freeman for the entire season due to a leg injury.
And that’s one of the main reasons why North Carolina State needs Yurtseven to be ruled eligible. They need another rebounder and they need player who can stretch the defense (Abu, Anya and Kapita aren’t going to do that).
If the Wolfpack are going to have any shot at making the Big Dance, they must have Yurtseven in the fold.
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