Smith’s first Gophers class a winner!
Already, Tubby Smith has out-recruited his former employer, Kentucky, and landed a recruiting class for next season that ranks, according to most experts, as the second-best class in the Big 10 and safely within the Top 10 in the nation. After being critiqued at Kentucky for his inability to land the best recruits, Smith has pulled off a minor miracle doing so well in his first season at Minnesota, trying to sell young, NBA-aspiring kids on a 9-22 team. That’s a much harder sell-job than he’d have had, had Tubby stayed in Kentucky, where his team was a perennial Sweet 16 favorite.
In July alone, Smith traveled to eight different states, and attended 14 major tournaments during the summer’s most critical recruiting time. He said he had to, in order to get the word out that Tubby Smith was now synonymous with the Minnesota Gophers, not the Kentucky Wildcats. After the time Tubby’s put in to recruiting since he was hired last spring, he might need a new pair of golf shoes to run around in.
Yet on the first day of signing day, his class of four looks as impressive as anyone’s, and he may yet add to it.
Here’s the rundown on two of the most highly-valued junior college players Smith sought and signed:
Paul Carter, junior college, 6’8″, likely small forward. Rated by many to be the steal of this year’s Gophers class.
Devron Bostick, junior college, likely SG-SF swingman. Highly valued and heavily recruited.
And now, what could turn into a Twin Towers scenario for the Gophers, the front court:
Colton Iverson, native of Yankton, SD, 6’10″, PF. A top 150 recruit, higher on some boards.
Ralph Sampson III, Duluth, GA, 6’11″, C. A solid Top 100 recruit, even higher on some boards.
And remember that “he still might not be done” part? Smith is working hard to land the best PG in all of Canada for the Gophers, Devoe Joseph. If Smith lands Joseph, look for Coach Smith’s first Gophers class to be referred to as the “new Fab Five,” which would refer to the impressive Michigan recruiting class the Wolverines put together in the early 1990s.
Better than UK’s class. UK has the 19th ranked player in the country and the 35th ranked player in the country. So to say he has a better class is a little foolish. Tubby signed more players, yes, but none in the top 70. Also signing juco players, look at Tubby’s history at UK of signing juco players, all failed miserably. Tubby pulled a good coup of getting Sampson, but UK pulled their offer from him. So while yes Tubby got a good class for Minnesota, that class would be a failiure at UK and that is why he left.
Travis,
Hoops Scoop Online disagrees with your assessment; they have Tubby’s MN recruiting class ranked 7th nationally. UK is lower on the list. His class is also now first in the Big 10, ranking ahead of Ohio State after Smith landed Devoe Joseph just before Thanksgiving.
I’m not sure you’re seeing this class the way recruiting analysts do. Best of luck, though!
http://blogs.twincities.com/gophers/2007/11/tubbys_recruiting_class_now_se.html
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Sorry to pick this up so late, but I think both you and Travis may be correct. According to Rivals (http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=744502#rank), UK’s 2008 class is ranked one spot ahead of Minnesota’s — both are ranked in the top 20. I’m a UK fan, but spent four years there while Tubby was coaching so, unlike some UK fans, I’m still rooting for Tubby. He will do some great things at Minny, and will definitely improve the community the same way he did in Lexington.