MBB Recruiting: 2015 3* Kyle Ahrens commits to MSU
Ohio shooting guard Kyle Ahrens commits to Michigan State: Ahrens, a 2015 guard from Versailles, Ohio, wrapped... http://t.co/TXAtaqOymt
— Spartans News (@SpartansMLive) June 6, 2014
Ahrens looked like a contingency plan if Grandstaff went elsewhere (as he did), but with the MAAR/Dawkins signings, the developments surrounding Eron Harris, and the glut of 2016 talent UM is in on, I think the coaches' plans changed. I really like Ahrens and think he'll be a good one. Knock down shooter with plenty of athletic upside. If he makes a full recovery from his broken leg, I think he could be thorn in our side down the road.
Michigan can't take everyone, though, and I understand why they held off with Aherns.
Them signing him is good for us cause he is a guard and mSU is in on a lot of the same guys we are and this kid IMO isn't as good as the other guys. I believe he was a secondary plan and now 2 guys Michigan had has contingency plans signs with 2 other big ten schools.
So what you're saying is that Beilein has so shifted the balance of power in this state that Izzo is now relegated to scooping up our Plan B guys to fill out his recruiting class? Yeah, that works for me.
but this is an internet message board, so let's roll with it.
His recuriting been running on fumes...last couple of years.
Exactly. MSU's recruiting was going nuts up until a few years ago. They had at least one 5 star in just about every class (Payne, Dawson, Harris) and other highly rated guys mixed in there. In the last couple years, they haven't done much of anything on the recruiting front, and that just happens to be when Michigan has been winning.
What's interesting too is that Beilein has never won a head-to-head recruiting battle against Izzo (although there's probably a few Izzo wishes he lost), so their decline in recruiting is mostly independent of Michigan's success.
It's hard to know what the real head-to-head recruiting battles are in basketball because coaches don't offer as many kids and they only offer kids they know are interested. If someone like McGary of Irvin had grown up an MSU fan or shown a lot of interest, Izzo would have offered them, because it's not like he had better prospects at their position in their class. Same with Kam Chatman. Probably same with Derrick Walton - if he hadn't committed to UM as early, I bet MSU offers because they didn't take a PG that year or the year before, and both of their commitments were late in the process (and weren't very good).
It's kind of like saying Shane Morris wasn't a head-to-head win over MSU, simply because he committed to us super early.
That's all true, but I'm not sure if any of Beilein's recruits would have gone to MSU if Michigan was still terrible. I'm guessing maybe Walton, but that's about it. Irvin isn't really Izzo's kinda player. GRIII would have been just as likely to go to an Indiana school once he exploded on the scene. McGary would've gone to Duke. All the other guys are outside of midwest or not big enough recruits for Izzo (or previously for Izzo).
If MSU really wanted Morris they could have offered him. Commitments don't prevent offers, as exemplified by Michigan's recent offers to commited players. There's no shame in it because a recruiting "loss" is not any more damaging than a recruiting "didn't participate".
It is possible, even likely, that Morris suppressed his offer list by openly having eyes for only one school, but it's also possible that he was overrated by the recruiting sites and not as impressive to other college coaches. The truly elite players will get dozens of elite offers, even if they've expressed their love for one school.
Well if you knew what you were talking about here, you'd know that Dantonio and msu was quite hard after Morris.... and still tried to pull him away even after he committed to Michigan. Just because an offer isn't public doesn't mean they don't want him.... they definitely went head to head with us... and they LOST.
But all those elite players who wind up going to Kentucky have Michigan higher on the list, and that tells you something.
The balance of power has shifted. I don't know why some on here don't want to accept it. Due to losses to the NBA and transfer this year they may end up above us but the long term tradeoff of possibly having 3 players taken in the first round is going to be huge. Izzo has very few players go early. That's going to have an impact on his recruiting.
Izzo has been moving on several guys not quite impressive enough for a Michigan offer. I don't know where all the MSU optimism is coming from. Izzo is returning (on paper) http://mgoblog.com/diaries/tom-izzo-and-more-less-fallacy his worst team ever. If they think Michigan dominated them for the last four years(6 out of 9), wait till they see the next four.
Please keep down voting me I want to have the !lowest possible score on here shooting for 1million neg pointz.
But won't give you the satisfaction of a neg. What are pointz?
As you know, this is one of those sites where you do have to be very careful what you wish for, of course, but if you really would like to set the bar and do so without help from myself or another mod, the current lowest total is held by "Q" and is -1,000,000,021, so while you have a way to go, it might be doable.
I think he can do it. He is trying his best.
that's a billion ... w/ 9 zeros.
we spoke of the other day??
Nice pickup for MSU but it did seem that they were in on a few more talented kids. To me Ahrens is a slightly less talented version of 2016 recruit Kyle Guy from Indianapolis Lawrence Central.
I don't know if I would say a lot bigger. Guy is probably about 6'3" now, but Ahrens does have more bulk. I was just saying they seem to have similar type games. They both are above average athletes, though I would say Guy is a better athlete, and they both are among the better shooters in their respective classes. Ahren's ceiling isn't quite as high as Guy's, in my opinion.
That seems like quite a reach at this point in the process. Guy's only other power conference offer was BC, and then he had a couple mid-majors in Dayton and Xavier. AFAIK he wasn't really impressing on the AAU circuit.
Probably says something about Eron Harris, too.
Broke his leg last year and apparently it was pretty obvious at the first few AAU tourneys that he wasn't back to 100%. Izzo probably felt confident that he could develop him, much like he developed Byrd, so hence the offer.
Agree on Harris.
this year, that would a shocking turn of events. Isn't he going to an NAIA school?
MSU offered Ahrens last October, so it's not like they just recently decided to pursue him because they aren't confident of landing Eron Harris.
But Bryn Forbes is about to transfer in, and that sure does.
Xavier is in the Big East now. Does the new Big East (Catholic Seven+Butler, Creighton and X) count as a power conference?
EDIT: Reply to blueandmaizeballs
landing two of the four both schools are recuriting...Brunson,Davis and both Eron's.
Harris-Purdue
Davis- Out of state
Brunson- MSU or VILL
Eron Gordon is 2016 and a second tier recruit
Just saying, we're gonna play against good talent and Ahrens could be a Stauskas...or he could be Russell Byrd.
If he was committing to UM instead of MSU he'd be the next brilliant find, the next Stauskas or Levert. But, since he's committing to MSU, he's a "reach" and the next Russel Byrd.
Michigan has the better program and the better coach, but MSU still gets good players.
Like Bess, Aherns is a guy that Beilein had significant interest in. I'd consider that a nice stamp of approval. I'd rather MSU picked up guys like Trice, who Beilein was never interested in.
Beilein picked him up. Beilein and company have shown a huge ability to maximize talent quickly. Izzo doesn't have that track record. His results came from getting top recruits and getting them to stick around for 4 years.
To me it's not about the player but what I think the coach can make of that player so yes I would have liked him if he came to Michigan.
I get your point, but Ahrens has met the requirements for an offer. If Beilein wanted him so bad, why didn't he offer him?
Same went for Trey Burke, Caris Levert, and, frankly, every player Beilein has landed with the possible exception of McGary and Stauskas.
The point is, just because a guy isn't on the first tier of elite players/offerees doesn't mean he's not going to make an excellent player.
Again, I'd much prefer Izzo grab guys that Beilein is NOT interested in, because I have that much respect for Beilein's evaluation skills. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Aherns and Bess are MSU's best players in 2-3 years.
his first choices? What about Morris, Irvin and GRIII?
I would have been pleased if Michigan landed him, but I also would have been wondering why the last two years weren't landing Michigan more highly-rated players.
I think it'd be a good bet that we'll see a Hello: Eron Harris post by the end of the weekend.
I hope so. Would be a hell of a few days for Michigan when it comes to transfers.
MSU has had relatively sub-par recruiting classes by their standards the last two years, but they do have Deyonta Davis committed for 2015...who is a 5 star on ESPN and a likely consensus 5 star by everyone soon. Kid is a dominant big man...very Paynesque. Ahrens looks good if he stays healthy. If Swanigan, Eric Davis, or a few others pop to MSU that they are in good shape on...they'll have an elite class. Very good start for them with Davis and Ahrens.
so many very good players are coming to town. I think there is a good chance we will hear some good basketball news in the next week or so.