MBB Recruiting: 2015 4* G/SF Matt McQuaid
For no apparent reason, 2015 basketball recruiting has been very slow for Beilein and company, who, like and Hoke and company, have tended to wrap up classes on the early side (save for the ocassional late addition like LeVert).
Per UMHoops, the most recent name to surface on Beilein's radar is 2015 4* G/SF Matt McQuaid out of Duncanville, TX (link here since my work computer won't allow me to click the OK button for the hyperlink: http://www.umhoops.com/2014/01/30/four-star-guard-matthew-mcquaid-receiving-michigan-interest).
Beilein checklist:
-Looks to be young for his grade (check) with potential to grow more (check)
-Good shooter (check); high release point (bonus points)
-Potential to play multiple positions, most likely 2 and 3 (check)
-Comfortable putting the ball on the floor (check)
-Good basketball DNA/IQ (his dad played at CMU and coaches) (check)
-Defensive buy-in (check)
Looks like he'd be a great addition to the class.Video below due to issue mentioned above:
January 31st, 2014 at 2:41 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 3:05 PM ^
http://baylor.247sports.com/Article/Matthew-McQuaid-Team-Texas-Elite-13…
Bearstruth: I was really impressed with your overall floor game this weekend- how you keep the ball moving; court vision; accurate shot. Sometimes there is a tendency to label a guy who shoots well as one dimensional. But it was obvious that you do a lot more than make shots to help your team win. What would be your response to being labeled as "just a shooter"?
McQuaid: Yes- I'm a shooter, but I will put the ball on the floor and attack off the dribble. I can play above the rim also. There is more to my game than shooting.
January 31st, 2014 at 5:28 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 2:42 PM ^
He looks younger than a 15-year-old LeVert
January 31st, 2014 at 3:12 PM ^
This will end well
January 31st, 2014 at 4:51 PM ^
Word to the wise, jtmc33 (unless you are being sarcastic, in which case my antennae aren't working properly.) A discussion on the age and appearance of a possible football recruit did not go well. Remember that recruits and their families will sometimes read the blog.
January 31st, 2014 at 7:27 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 2:42 PM ^
Nickname: Lone Wolf.
January 31st, 2014 at 3:08 PM ^
Had to look that one up. My first thought was Total Recall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o1jdKFJHL0
January 31st, 2014 at 5:29 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 3:41 PM ^
Lone Wolf Mcquade: Possibly the best bad movie ever.
February 7th, 2014 at 11:03 AM ^
This is the first thing that always comes to mind when I hear Lone Wolf. I used to count the days until the new books would be released. 
January 31st, 2014 at 2:42 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 2:44 PM ^
- Looks insanely young (check)
January 31st, 2014 at 2:53 PM ^
It's obviously silly to read too much into 2 minutes of video, but one thing I noticed about McQuaid was how comfortable he was with his left hand. Generally, high school kids (even really good ones) will tend to switch back to their dominant hand when they have a standing dribble (i.e. waiting to attack the line outside the 3pt line or waiting for a pick); however, McQuaid seemed content to have a standing dribble with his left and right. That's generally a good sign because it means the dribbler is confident enough (even when he's in a "relaxed" stance) that he won't get ripped by his defender, and, therefore, he's extremely capable off the bounce.
January 31st, 2014 at 5:31 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 3:01 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 3:02 PM ^
also has a very quick release for a kid his age.
January 31st, 2014 at 3:04 PM ^
This kis looks like a great fit for the system. Looks a lot like Stauskas, he just needs to keep developing. He even had a nice "game blouses" dunk in that video
January 31st, 2014 at 3:12 PM ^
I don't really follow the Basketball recruiting that well......who else in the '15 class do we have a REALISTIC chance of signing?
January 31st, 2014 at 3:19 PM ^
It seems like Michigan in it with Jalen Coleman and Jalen Brunson. It seems like they have a decent chance with McQuaid, though that recruitment has just started. I don't know about anyone else. I'm surprised Luke Kennard hasn't committed to Kentucky already.
The cupboard looks like it will be relatively bare at Michigan in 2015, but kids are not yet moving quickly to join the team.
January 31st, 2014 at 3:26 PM ^
Kennard is probably going to wait it out and see how the scholarship situation plays out at Kentucky. Also, I just don't have a good feeling about Brunson. From the rumblings on the paid sites, he doesn't want to sit behind anyone (Walton). He wants to play immediately.
January 31st, 2014 at 4:05 PM ^
Is everyone leaving early? Even the ones that aren't even here yet?
January 31st, 2014 at 3:27 PM ^
It's been very quiet for 2015 across the board. Very few commits in the Rivals 150 so far. Gun to my head, and assuming a four man class:
- Jalen Coleman, 6'3" G out of IN
- Evan Boudreaux, 6'7" F out of IL
- Eric Davis, 6'3" G out of Saginaw (assuming the take 2 guards)
- AJ Turner, 6'6" G/F out of De La Salle in MI if he's playing well at prep school
That projection may be a bit guard heavy, but there hasn't been much in the way of smoke with any big men outside of Boudreaux. Complete guess, but I think could quietly still be in it for a 5* F named Carlton Bragg out of OH. The ship for 5* F Luke Kennard may have sailed, but I'll hold out hope that he'll come to his senses and drop Kentucky. He'd be unreal under Beilein.
January 31st, 2014 at 5:13 PM ^
Popular opinion is that Eric Davis is headed out of state
January 31st, 2014 at 3:24 PM ^
EVERYONE
January 31st, 2014 at 3:14 PM ^
2015 class vistors this season. Maybe they will get more during February when we have home games against STAEE and Wiscy. This should be the year that our recent on-court success bears fruit and for whatever reasons we haven't seen it yet.
Obviously it is still early, and JB has proven his recruiting chops, so I am not that worried but it would be great to get a few top kids to visit soon to get the ball rolling.
January 31st, 2014 at 3:19 PM ^
I like how he says he used to watch Beilein at West Virginia. He's in the class of 2015, so he was like 9 years back then. Kid must have grown up loving hoops.
January 31st, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 3:28 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 3:36 PM ^
1) He doesn't cheat. As such, landing a McGary caliber player (in terms of rating) will be the exception rather than the rule. It's almost impossible to recruit top-10 guys without getting your hands very, very dirty.
2) Basketball recruiting is slower than football. Very few guys for 2015 have comitted yet. Plus, the 2015's haven't even played their junior year of basketball yet and coaches want to see how they fare.
January 31st, 2014 at 4:39 PM ^
I like that he already has a very repeatable motion in his shot.
Yeah, Yeah, that's what she said.
January 31st, 2014 at 4:47 PM ^
His AAU teammate Austin Grandstaff is just as good, if not better:
February 6th, 2014 at 11:26 PM ^
comboguard Austin Grandstaff's father, McQuaid's AAU teammate, said this after his son decommited from Ok St:
"Grandstaff said his son has been watching Florida and Michigan quite a bit lately and would love to hear from them."
Package deals rarely happen but you'd have to think they talked about potentially playing with each other. Two top 50 players fill a need at guard and wing, assuming at least one of GR3/Stauskas/ LeVert leave by next year.