UTSATailgaters.com
Building Traditions...
One Tailgate at a Time.
Less than a month ago, the UTSA men's b-ball team was off to the best start in school history at 12-3. A 20+ win season was looking like a definite lock, the team was amongst the best in the NCAA at free throw percentage and two straight wins to start the SLC schedule had RunnerNation chomping at the bit looking like this season was going to be the best in the Brooks Thompson era. What a difference 4 weeks has made. With this week’s loss to UCA, coming into the game with a 7-16 record and 1-8 in conference, the Runners have now lost 6 or their last 7. Even with only one final score (TSU-San Marcos) showing a double digit loss the Runners have competed and fought very hard during these losses. After going down by 16 to TSU-San Marcos the Runners were able to scratch and claw within one point in the 2nd half, only to run out of gas and not buy a bucket towards the end. In last night's loss the Runners led by as much as 7 in the first half and came within 3 after again falling short. Other losses have been gut wrenching, such as the UTA loss that took a Michael Jordan Performance of 38 points from Marquez Haynes (watched it in person) to help overcome a 12 point first half lead for UTSA. Then a tough hard fought OT loss to A&M-CC at the convo was even tougher to swallow as Devin Gibson missed a hard driving contested layup as time expired that would've given the Runners the win. Eventually A&M-CC pulled out the victory 66-62 in OT . The spiraling downfall of the Runners can be attributed to two major factors, Shooting and Defense. In these last six losses in seven games, no opponent has shot worse than 45% from the field. Three teams have shot over 50%. It's simple math for you RunnerNation diehards. You let teams score and you don't, that will equal a loss every time. In those same six losses, UTSA has not shot better than 44% from the field. That isn't too abysmal, but the Runners simply don't depend on the two point shot. Against UCA, UTSA shot a chilling 13% from the 3pt line. In comparison to the win against SE LA where the Runners shot 46% from deep. In the Brooks Thompson era the Runners have lived by the 3 and died by the 3. The Runners tallest post player in the rotation is listed at 6'7" and at times this has really hindered the Runners. The Runners are not a half court low post team and with size being an issue there have been games during the plunge that the Runners have been hammered in the paint and boards. In five of the last six losses UTSA has been outrebounded. This isn't the case all the time, but with no consistent low post scoring or defensive presence, field goals and 3 point shots have to go down or the Runners are in trouble. To compound matters, recently Josh Bonney was battling an injury and sickness, Chris Allen has been suspended indefinitely and two signees from the 2009 class have not logged a single minute. Larry Wilkins is red shirting while taking care of academics and Stephen Franklin sustained a serious ankle injury during fall practice that has kept him in a walking boot all season. With 7 remaining games, UTSA needs to close strong just to be assured of a spot in the SLC tourney as only the top 8 schools are selected to play for the conference championship. The good news is that as quick as the team has gone cold, they can get hot. The Runners try to get back on track against UTA and Marquez Haynes at the Convo this weekend. Just remember RunnerNation, it's obviously much easier said than done or else we'd all be division one basketball players. McAllen WR Nick Garza was one of 14 official visitors to UTSA on the weekend of 12/11. "We were busy 90% of the time, we were doing something as a group. If we weren't going to look at the Alamodome, we were going to eat. We were with our host and would tour the city. There was no free time. We got to eat at the roadrunner cafe and it was awesome." "Everything that coach Coker talked about is something you can't pass up as a student athlete. From the rec center to the dorms, it was amazing. Everything was an eye opener. It opened my eyes just that much more being with my teammates (Cody Mulvain & Scott Inskeep).” So with the 2009 year closed and Spring 2010 right around the corner, Nick is planning workouts, "They told us that we would get in there at the end of August. We'll practice from September, October & November. We're going to be practicing as if we had a game at the end of the week. They're trying to get us a scrimmage in the spring. I'm assuming it's like spring football, you know 3 weeks in pads and then having a scrimmage at the end. Coach Coker was talking about having it at the Alamodome. Maybe tied in with the parade during fiesta and then after fiesta have all those people go over to the Alamodome for the scrimmage." With the first game about 21 months away, RunnerNation would be foaming at the mouth to get a look at the future Roadrunner football team during spring ball. Fall practice in 2010 and then spring ball in 2011 would be the true christening of Roadrunner football. SIDENOTE: Two of Nick’s teammates, Cody Mulvain a preferred walk-on and Scott Inskeep an OL who had a pending offer from UTSA, also took official visits. UTSAtailgaters was has learned that Scott Inskeep did in fact commit to UTSA. Inskeep is now the 23rd known commit to UTSAtailgaters and adds massive bulk to the O-line. Inskeep is listed at 6'4" & around 290-300lbs. Also, Cody Mulvain is just as big as Inskeep or even bigger. Cody is listed at 6'3"-6'4" and about 315lbs. Both these kids, along with recent 5A All-State Center Robert Chapman of Clark, Drew Phillips of Steele, Cody Harris of Smithson Valley and Nate Leonard of McKinney, make up some serious beef to lay the foundation for the Runners in the trenches. With a year to Red Shirt, it will be continuous strengthening and conditioning and expect the O-line to be even bigger with a year in the weight room. UTSAtailgaters has learned from sources very close to the UTSA basketball program that Arizona Guard Garland Judkins has left the UA program and will be enrolling at UTSA to further his college basketball career. Judkins was currently a Sophomore at UA and had only seen limited action in only six games thus far under first year coach Sean Miller. Judkins is a former McDonald's All-American Nominee and a rivals three star player who had recruiting interest from programs across the country before signing with UA in 2008. Judkins is a 6'3" 200lb guard who will be eligible to play as early as next December (2010) as a Sophomore and will still have two full years of playing eligibility to remain after that. In essence UTSA is landing Judkins with two and a half years of playing eligibility left. Because Judkins can suit up next season, albeit December, he will count towards the signing class of 2010 for UTSA. With Judkins transferring in, Brooks Thompson and staff still have three more spots open for the class of 2010 if they wish to use all eight scholarships. Judkins will be joining Freshman to be, Jordan Sims ( By Bruce Pascoe Sophomore guard Garland Judkins will transfer from Max Ivany, of the Judkins, suspended from the Wildcats for the second half of last season, was reinstated by Miller for this season but has not cracked the Wildcats' rotation this season. "UTSA is a good situation for him because it’s close to home and he can play” a significant role there, Ivany said. “ RCSSports.com, a Houston-based recruiting website, first reported that Judkins has left "I haven’t had a chance to sit down with Messages left for Judkins and his mother, Beverly, have not been returned. A departure by Judkins would not be a surprise. He has not played in the Wildcats’ past five games, including a game Saturday at UCLA when guard MoMo Jones was suspended. Judkins is averaging 1.2 points in six games. In addition, Judkins will face a battle for playing time next season. UA has already signed one shooting guard, freshman Daniel Bejarano of Jim Hicks, publisher of RCSSports.com, said UTSA is a good fit for Judkins. "It's a perfect move for him," Hicks said. "It's where he should have been in the first place. He was a midmajor talent from day one." Judkins was indefinitely suspended for the second half of last season by interim coach Russ Pennell, then reinstated when Miller was hired in April. Coveted 3 star DE Dartwan Bush of Brazoswood ended his recruitment and gave a verbal to Mike Leach and Texas Tech earlier this month(BEFORE TERMINATION). Utsatailgaters had learned that Brazoswood DE Dartwan Bush had picked up an offer from UTSA and was an official visitor on the first weekend that UTSA invited visitors back on 12/4. Dartwan is listed at 6'2" 250lbs and has been rated by rivals.com as a 3-star prospect with a grade of 5.6. Before committing to Tech, Dartwan had taken officials of UTSA and Baylor. His scholarship list was an impressive one, with offers from Sidenote (1): The mere fact that Coach Coker and his staff are not leaving any rounds in the chamber and are going after some highly profiled recruits is a great sign of things to come. To know that UTSA is literally competing with some Big XII teams such as ISU, Baylor and Tech for student athletes is eye opening, especially with it being UTSA's inaugural signing class. It is one thing to offer a student athlete, but it's another step and a sign of legit interest if the recruit is brought in for an official, such as Dartwan. In the last recent weeks UTSA has offered some highly rated recruits such as Dartwan, Kevin Kisseberth, Kyle Davis and others. Sidenote (2): UTSA is closing out there inaugural class and they are doing it strong and with a huge interest into the The weekend of December 11th was another weekend of hosting recruits on their UTSA official visit. UTSAtailgaters just learned that another commit was received from the visit to Runner Country. Houston Stratford's Richard Burge gave a verbal to the UTSA staff making himself commit #22 in this inaugural class, "I committed on my official visit, at the end of that. We arrived in town Friday at around noon and left Saturday morning." Richard is a 6'3" 260lb Defensive Tackle that caught a late eye of the UTSA coaching staff, "I had already applied to school there before the coaches talked to me." Richard definitely wanted to say thank you to a former position coach for this, " My former coach, Ron Rogers made a phone call to Coach Coker and let him know about me. As a matter fact it was last Wednesday I got a phone call (12/9) and the next day I said I could come in on an official." We asked Richard if he had been told would he remain a DT or were they looking at him to be on the end of the D-line, "From what I understand, I will be on the interior defensive line. The defensive tackle spot. I've always had a thing for defense, I have a thing for pursuing the ball. I have a knowledge for the game, I have an instinct & I love to be aggressive." As for what stood out about the campus and the football program, "I just loved the campus, everything went well, got to talk to the coaches and all sorts of good stuff that went along with campus. If I were to say one thing that stood out about campus, it was the rec center." Richard definitely liked the lazy river that takes you through the rec. As for the likes about the football program, "It's the opportunity to get to start something, be a part of something brand new. Getting to play for Larry Coker. The student coach relationship. With my brother playing out of state it's hard not seeing him and being close to my family." For the season Richard and his teammates did well and got to the first round of the playoffs, "Our team did really well. I believe our defense was 1st in the district. All the big teams that were supposed to put up big yards, we held them. We were a really good team this year. We went into the first round and drew Katy (Lost 37-14)." As an accolade Richard did receive 1st team all-district. We were also able to catch up with Richard's Head Coach, Coach Elliot Allen, for a few words on Richard, "He plays hard every single snap, as a d-lineman that's really important. I think he still has the room to grow being a later bloomer. I'm pretty sure he's quite willing to do whatever they need him to do." Along with Richard's non-stop motor, he has a humble approach in knowing that he does still have some work to do,"I would say I need to work on my upper body. My entire junior year I played with a cast on right arm and I didn't get to do any upper body exercises and that's one thing I need to work on." Sidenote: Richard is the 2nd DT commit of the inaugural 2010 class, joining Ferrington Macon of Corpus Christi Carroll and is the 22nd known commit to UTSAtailgaters.com. Richard did also say that he had been in touch with Also, Richard's brother is Jimmy Burge, a 6'2" 285lb RS Freshman DT for the Missouri Tigers. Jimmy and the Tigers will be facing off against Navy on Dec. 31st in the Texas Bowl. Currently on the UTSA roster, only three players are listed 6'7" or taller. All three happen to be seniors and will be moving on at the end of this season. With eight scholarships in hand for the 2010 class, Brooks Thompson has already signed four newcomers during the early signing period, two of which are low post big men with 6'6" Tyler Wood of SA Madison and 6'8" Jeromie Hill of Australia. Offers have gone out to 6'8" Jordan Didier (may or may not go prep route) of St. Mary's HS (AZ) and 6'7" low post TJ Williams (visited UTSA in late September) of Hodge HS (LA). Recently another big man has reported talks and interest from UTSA and the Roadrunner coaching staff is again digging into the talent of the Mak is said to be able to step out and shoot the rock, along with some solid low post moves. Where Mak must improve is his strength and then utilize this strength to finish at the rim. We'll keep an eye on this one and let you know if things change between Mak & UTSA. (The Following story is courtesy of rivals.com) Anthony Ray ArizonaPreps.com Recruiting Analyst Developing low post players take time. Often times there are high school student-athletes that go throughout their high school careers without reaching their full potential as players. Many of these unheralded prospects are post players that go on to have much better college careers as they grow into their bodies. More often than not, young low-post players take much longer to grow into their young bodies, which seem to grow at a much faster pace than the student-athlete's skill level. These larger post players physically and mentally grow later in their careers, which usually translates very well to the college game. Unfortunately for the student-athlete, this often means that the player struggles to reach his potential as a player in the high school ranks, as he begins to develop and mature into his body. Rather, the student-athlete begins to see much more success at the collegiate level as he/she matures into their bodies and develops much better hand-eye coordination and agility. This was definitely the case for former 2006 Mesquite HS graduate Gavin Edwards. Now a star post player for UCONN, Edwards had unlimited potential as an unheralded high school prospect, but is just now beginning to reach his potential as a player as a senior for one of the top rated basketball programs in America. I saw the promise of Edwards and made the call to UCONN's staff, regarding the talented Edwards is just one of the many amazing stories of developing low post players I have been involved with throughout my 15 years of college scouting. Others include Luis Ahmundson (Phoenix Suns-NBA), Channing Frye (Phoenix Suns-NBA), Maurier Angui (Portland State), Derek Wabbington (Harlem Globetrotters), Jon Underwood (Missouri), Will Donahue (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo), Shane Johannsen (Northern Arizona) and Mason Maynard (Azusa Pacific) to name a few. Possessing a long, thin 6-8 frame, Boskailo has an extremely long 7-foot-2 wingspan as a player and is very skilled for his size already - something rarely found in developing low post players. Boskailo's parents are natives of Boskailo is also an effective low post scorer, possessing a good jump hook and solid inside moves. He still lacks physical strength, which will greatly improve his ability to score in the future. As of now, he may have trouble finishing inside at times because of his lack of strength in his lower and upper body. Boskailo is a good passer of the basketball though and sees the floor very well from the post position. He is also an excellent shotblocker, as he utilizes his length to block or change shots. This length also allows him to finish around the basket in ways most cannot. Mak also has great work ethic on the court, which has led to his current development as a player, and will continue to define him as a player in future years to come. He has worked hard to get to where he is currently as a player and, while he is nowhere near his potential as a player, he has improved a great deal over the past several years through working closely with former NBA star guard Negele Knight. A former starting point guard for the Phoenix Suns, Knight realizes Boskailo's potential as a college prospect. "He is my favorite player that I work with right now," said Knight. "He has improved so much over the years. He has a chance to be big time." Knight advised us that he has spoken to his former college, the Boskailo is currently also receiving strong interest from Pepperdine, Northwestern, Mak is also a very good kid with an excellent personality and is also a good student with a 3.0 CUM GPA. Look for Boskailo to help lead Chaparral HS this season to a great run in the 5A Division-II Class. While this season should continue to be a good one for Boskailo, look for him to reach new heights at the collegiate level, as his future looks to be very bright. The inaugural 2010 football recruiting class for UTSA is almost at Larry Coker's goal. At the onset of the recruiting cycle coach Larry Coker said he would be handing out 25 scholarships (NCAA Max is 30 a class; 63 Total for FCS teams) for this class and this past weekend UTSA hosted it's first official visitors, only to add two more commits to the list, bringing the total to 21 commits. One of those new commits is Safety Nic Johnston of Coppell HS, "I committed this past weekend during the visit. They offered me probably about a month ago, about half way through the football season." Along with UTSA, Nic also had an offer from We asked Nic, what stood out to him about UTSA and why did he decide to commit, "It's closer to the family. Coach Coker is a great coach. Just a fact that this program will become something. News surfaced a couple weeks back that UTSA had picked up it's 19th football commitment and first linebacker commit for the 2010 class. UTSAtailgaters burned up the phone lines and we were able to speak with the newest UTSA football commit, John Walker of "I committed last Tuesday on the third (11/3)." Recently John and his HS teammates had their season come to a close with a must win situation to get into the playoffs against Nimitz HS, Humble fell just short, 33-28, "Saturday was our last game. If we would've won we would've gone to the playoffs, but we lost. Their quarterback scored a late touchdown and that was it." With the season in the books, we wondered if John would be taking a visit to UTSA and asked about the position of his commitment, "I have a visit scheduled for December 11,12, & 13. I say it's pretty solid. There aren't too many colleges that I would say have the potential that UTSA does." Some of the other schools evaluating John, according to scout.com are Baylor, John currently stands 6'1" and 208 pounds. During a summer camp at A&M he was clocked running a 4.58 40 yard dash. Although the season was cut short for John, he certainly did not disappoint performance wise on the field, "Going into the (last) game I had 160 tackles, but now I have 179. I don't know exactly how many solo's or assists. I also had 2 interceptions for the season and I'm not sure on how many sacks or tackle's for loss I have." In closing, UTSAtailgaters wanted to know what do we have to look forward to when John steps on the field and will he be lining up in the middle of the Roadrunner defense, " I hate losing. No matter what, I will give it my all. They said of all the linebackers they've been looking at I can play all three, Sam, Will & Mike. In high school we run a 4-2-5 and I'm always used to playing in the middle. I used to play safety and I like playing it too." With John's speed and height it looks like UTSA has landed an anchor in the middle of the front seven. With a year to redshrit, John will easily add 10-20 pounds to his frame to be around the 220-225 range to help him take the on and give the pounding that is associated with being a D-1 linebacker. UTSA landed four talented signees for the 2010 class. Things are continuing to go well on the recruiting trail as Utsatailgaters has learned of a second target in bayou country. Matt Lebato of Sulphur HS in Matt is a 6'8", 190 pound senior who projects at the next level as a two or a three because of his shooting ability, "I probably would play a three. I would like to play a guard spot like a three or a two." As it stands, UTSA is currently Matt's only offer, but he is being evaluated by many other schools including SEC power LSU, "Mostly the in state schools. I talked with LSU, TCU, North Texas, As for UTSA and how Matt feels towards the program, "I talked to Coach Brooks around the beginning of October. Talked about the atmosphere, the program and how he wants to build it into the Gonzaga of the south. I really got a good feel for Coach Guster and With the HS basketball season already in swing we wanted to see where Matt stood with his visits and his time-line for a decision, "I'm going to take all my visits at the end of the basketball season. I'm just focusing on the season. I haven't made a list, everybody is still kind of wide open. I'm going to cut it down at the end of the season." With several programs evaluating Matt out of state, he did say that distance wouldn't really matter. Matt is coming off a season where he was named 1st team All district in 3-5A as a junior. Lebato teams with returning Allstate guard Chip Armelin (6'3" Sr.) who has also heard from LSU and Georgia Tech among others, to form one of the best 1-2 punches in the state, if not the best. Lebato is not only seen as one of the best players at his position in Stay tuned for any updates as UTSAtailgaters will be tracking Matt. Sidenote: Matt is the second known target to UTSAtailgaters from the Bayou state. TJ Williams of Hodge HS ( As the early signing period for basketball passed, Utsatailgaters has hit the trail trying to keep up with some of the basketball targets. We were able to speak with Rodney Givens (SG) of Bishop Miege, KS and see how the overall process is going and if he's heard anything from UTSA. "Right now, I have heavy interest from Oral Roberts and We were able to talk about what he knows about UTSA, his measurements and the recruiting process in general, "Last time I checked I was 6'2". Last time I got weighed I was 194lbs and that was this past summer. Recruiting is going pretty good. Pretty much how I kind of expected." Recently Rodney was tabbed a pre-season All-State player in Kansas and rated as one of the top three guards in the entire state no matter the classification. We asked Rodney what he thought when he heard of these lofty expectations, "I just stay humble, but I'm confident. I need to keep working every day to get better." Rodney doesn't have any personal stats that he'd like to accomplish, but did have a personal team goal, "Win a state championship." With the early signing period come and gone has Rodney decided if he will sign somewhere or wait until the spring, "Uhh, right now I'm not sure yet, I'm still trying to decide and talking about it. Right now they're all on the same page." We asked Rodney if distance or location would be a factor in his choice, "Distance is not a problem on where I might go." Previously Givens had said he was planning on visiting UTSA, has anything concrete been set up, "I plan on probably calling up there and seeing about an official visit in a few weeks." Rodney isn't sure if he will take the visit before or after the early signing period. Finally, we asked Rodney if anything stood out about the offense Coach Thompson runs and what position could he see himself playing at the next level, "Coach O'Dowd was saying how the offense does shoot a lot of 3's and I like that about them. I'd probably see myself as a combo guard at the next level. Shooting would be my main part." Givens is a talented player no matter what spot he plays on the court. The most notable of the new defensive targets for UTSA is Klein DE/LB Kevin Kisseberth. Depending on which recruiting services you look at, Kevin is rated anywhere from a two star to a mid or high three star prospect and has a laundry list of offers from programs all over. In the eyes of UTSA, Kevin is no longer a prospect, but a target, "I think it was a week or two ago that I was offered. Coach Ross has been the main one in contact, but Coach Coker offered me." Kevin and his teammates are still playing and that of course takes precedence, "So far my team is doing pretty good. We went 7-3 in the regular season. We just beat As it stands, Kevin has offers from the Big 10, Big XII, C-USA, WAC and Sunbelt schools, "I have offers, from La. Tech, UNT, Rice, Kevin already has the physical tools to step on the field at the next level. He stands 6'2" 215 pounds and was clocked at running a 4.6 40 yard dash. A couple of more pounds and Kevin would be a solid wall in the front seven of any defense. Kevin said it best when I asked him what he would bring to the table, "I'd hope to be a player that the other team wouldn't want to go against." Defense seems to be the side of the ball targeted by Coach Coker and his staff for the remaining scholarships of 2010. UTSA picked up it's first LB commit in John Walker of Humble last week and news has surfaced that at least four more defensive targets have received a UTSA offer. UTSAtailgaters was able to confirm with Bastrop DB, Bernard Blake that he in fact did pick up a UTSA offer, "I was offered about two weeks ago." Coach David Ross is the lead recruiter who has been in consistent contact with Bernard. Bernard holds a list of five offers including UTSA, "I have offers from other schools. Bernard's high school playing days unfortunately came to an end last week when Bernard has nice size and has speed to compliment it, "The last time when I did height & weight was when i visited We asked Bernard at what position is UTSA recruiting him and if he had a preference, "This past year I played corner and safety. UTSA has said right now, they're looking at me as a corner, but in the future there would be a possibility that I could switch off to safety come game day. I don't have a certain position, I just love the game of football. Whatever the team needs." I asked Bernard does anything stand out about UTSA and when might he make a commitment, "Coach Coker's history as a coach stands out. All the schools are offering me playing time as a freshman. All the schools offer great academics. There more along the same list, I don't have any personal favorites. I'm kind of going back and forth about the distance being a factor in my decision, in the end it probably will be. I'm a competitor, I'm going to be set out for hard work. I love the game of football. I talked to my coach about my decision time. I kind of want to wait. My coach was probably saying that I need to make my decision before then (National Signing Day), so I'll probably make it before signing day." Bernard is a nice young man, a desire for great work ethic and a team first attitude. Being 6'0" and having legit 4.5 speed make Bernard a very intriguing prospect. Stay tuned RunnerNation for any updates on Bernard as NSD is just over two and a half months away and Bernard appears that he will commit before then. Last month a story broken by Texasprepinsider.com had Angleton RB Terrance Franks having a high interest in UTSA. UTSAtailgaters were able to catch up with Terrance and see how things are going. "I haven't gotten an offer yet from UTSA for football. I really hope that I do get an offer and that would be good where my family could come to my games. I know that recently I got a call from the UTSA track coach. I had gotten some letters in the spring about playing both football & track. I really haven't talked to anyone about football, but I know I can do both." Franks reports legit breakaway speed with a 4.44 40 yard dash time. He stands 5'10" and 185 pounds and stars on the track team for Angleton as well. When on the gridiron, Franks has opened some eyes and is having a successful year while helping carry the running back load, "They have me playing mostly at running back and a little at corner too. I have 91 carries for 516 yds and 4 touchdowns. I help the offense a lot." Although Terrance appears to be getting more attention in the sport of track, does that mean he favors track instead of football, "If i had to choose one or the other, I would choose football. I love football. If I have to do it for track I will tryout for track too." On the track scene Terrance has letters and is being evaluated or recruited by schools such as LSU, When it's all said done Terrance really hopes to get an offer from UTSA. We asked Terrance if an offer did come and with all the schools looking at him when would be decide to make a decision, "I have to think about it and my decision when the time comes. I'd probably wait until the middle of January." With Terrance's speed and versatility of knowing both offense and defense, he would be an interesting athlete to see take the field and utilize his renowned speed. UTSAtailgaters will track (no pun intended) Terrance and update RunnerNation of any new developments. Sidenote: --Terrance did mention that UTSA football coaches have called to inquire about two of his football teammates. Running back Donnie Foster and O-lineman Tiance Gardner. We were not able to confirm Foster's measurements, but he is part of a three headed RB monster that Angleton utilizes. Tiance --Notable D-1 football players that have or are running track are, LSU's Trindon Holliday, UT's Marquise Goodwin and Baylor's Robert Griffin to just name a few. The San Antonio Express News reported last week that four new offers had gone out to football recruits. UTSAtailgaters wanted to provide an in depth look at just who these new targets for the 2010 class are and give our take on what the chances are. UTSA just landed it's first LB commit last week in Humble's John Walker. Well Coach Coker and staff are hot on the trail of a couple more. Klein OLB Kevin Kisseberth is the most bally-hooed of the new targets amongst the recruiting services. Kevin is a rock at the OLB spot. He stands 6'3" & 220 pounds and rivals.com reports a 4.6 40yard dash. He is rated a mid 3 star recruit and graded at 5.6. Kevin has a who's who of offers, Chances: Not likely; Kisseberth has the Gophers as his clear cut leader. After his visit in mid September he almost committed. A huge positive is that it's been almost two months since that visit and Kevin has yet to commit and the possibility of a coaching change is always a red flag for recruits. We don't want to get our hopes up because we know LC and staff can recruit and never underestimate LC's championship pedigree, but don't hold your breath RunnerNation. Humble Kingwood OLB Robert Singletary has flown under the radar for quite sometime, but word is beginning to get out on the Kingwood LB. Robert stands 6'4" 215 pounds & 4.7 40 yard dash. Rivals lists him as a WR and OLB. According to his coach Singletary can also play DE. His offer list is small, but appears to be growing and has some major Big XII programs lined up for an official visit. Current offers are UTSA, Army and Navy. No dates have been confirmed but reports say that Singletary will be taking official visits to both CU and Mizzou in Big XII North Country. (n/a ranking or grade by rivals) (Scout has him a 1 star with no official evaluation; Also lists him at 6'5" 225 pounds) Chances: Average (leaning towards not likely); A recruit is only invited for an official visit when an offer is extended. An athletic department and university will not cover all the costs and travel expenses associated with an official visit if they did not want to extend an offer to the kid. If UTSA's competition were only the service academies then all the better, but with the Big XII schools stepping in, our chances of average may decrease to not likely very soon. One of the four offers did go to a local prospect and that happens to be SA Reagan DB Kyle Davis. Listed at 6'0" 195 pounds and a 4.5 40yard dash. Chances: Average; If location and family are variables, this would be a strong or very strong chance. However, we have not been able to confirm or do a follow up with Kyle, or any of the new targets to state otherwise. With his current offer list and what Coach Coker is doing at UTSA, we like our chances, but we'll leave this one as average for now until we get any further news. Finally, Bastrop Safety Bernard Blake is the final new target. Bernard is currently not listed on either major recruiting network, Rivals or Scout. However we were able to confirm that Bernard stands 6'0" and 160 pounds with no 40 time reported. Reports have Blake as the best defensive player on the Chances: Average; A safety who would get the opportunity to compete for immediate playing time and play for a Coach of the magnitude of LC and the reputation of his staff is always a plus. We'll definitely be trying to get a follow up on where Bernard stands. We have confirmed that Arizona Central PG Travis Payton signed his his LOI earlier today. Travis is a nationally recruited juco pg with schools such as UTSAtailgaters.com has confirmed that McDonalds All-American Nominee Jordan Sims of Liberty HS (AZ) will signed his letter of intent for UTSA today, at approximately 2:15pm We have confirmed that Madison Post Tyler Wood did sign his LOI Wednesday morning and is also a Roadrunner. Utsatailgaters has learned that Drew Parker (PG, LaPorte HS) has decided to end his recruitment and commited recently to UNC-Greensboro of the Southern Conference. In a story broken by Texas Hoops, Parker one of the best PG's in the entire state of The story references the status of the overall program on how he wants to help build a program coming off of five wins, the academic success of the business school and the feeling he got of the university is what made him chose UNC-Greensboro. Of the Top 20 Texas propsects for 2010, Parker is the the 9th commitment to go outside of the state of Parker can sign on the first day of the early signing period which falls on November 11th. Sidenote: The breaking story by Texashoops also said that "a capacity crowd of roughly 24,000 fans" played a key part in Drew choosing UNC-Greensboro. Might be an error or typo as http://www.uncgspartans.com reports that their gymnasium is built for 1800 people to view men's basketball and the max capcity crowd that UNC-G has ever had was just over 2,300. Continuing where we've left off with the b-ball commits and updates, UTSAtailgaters was able to speak with Irving Ranchview SG, EJ Jefferson and get an update on how things are going, "I had a chance to go to Dallas Pinkston HS to play or Murrah HS in Mississippi, but right now I'm just focusing on my grades because I know college is going to be hard." EJ was commenting on the fact that he will not be able to play for his HS basketball team this year because of UIL rules that state EJ has used all of his eligibility. As for staying in shape and keeping his game fine tuned, "I workout, I shoot in the morning and on Saturdays I've been shooting." The 6'3" 180lb SG has offers from UTSA, UNT and has been highly recruited by Drake, "I haven't gotten any other offers (since we last spoke), but I think I might make a decision. I just really haven't talked to the coaches. My coach says that some coaches have called, but again I've been really focusing on my school work. Drake hasn't offered, but they're asking to see my transcript." So with the offers he has and the schools evaluating him does EJ have a favorite or is he leaning towards any school, "Right now, UTSA is my number one fit. They're definitely in my top two. The last coach I talked to was Coach Renegar and that was this past summer. I haven't been out there, but I'll probably make an official visit soon." We went on to ask EJ if he would be making his decision and be signing during the up coming early signing period which starts on Next Wednesday, November 11th, "I think this coming week during the early signing period I'll make my decision." If One week from today, high school seniors and juco transfers will be able to sign on the dotted line to further their basketball playing days at the next level. One who will do so is the newest commit to Coach Brooks Thompson and UTSA. Payton stands 6'0" and is revered as a true point guard and one of the best at the Juco level. Such schools as Payton is now the 3rd commit for the 2010 recruiting class and 2nd from the Sidenote: Previously Utsatailgaters had learned that the UTSA staff was aiming to try and have 5 signees during the early signing period. We'll be tracking the recruiting trail to see if UTSA does in fact get there signees. Overall, UTSA has 8 scholarships available for the 2010 class, leaving 5 slots available. Also, Coach Jeff Renegar was the lead recruiter for Payton. The following story is courtesy of arizonapreps.com: Anthony Ray ArizonaPreps.com Recruiting Analyst While he had considered waiting late to make his college decision, Payton decided to end his college recruitment late Tuesday evening. Payton decided to give a verbal commitment to the University of Texas-San Antonio and Head Coach Brooks Thompson. Texas-San Antonio assistant coach Jeff Renegar was instrumental in the recruitment of Payton. Renegar, a long-time recruiter of the state of "It is a great fit for me," said Payton. "I told them I was just ready to be a Roadrunner." Very few junior college point guard prospects in Payton was also being recruited by such schools as Payton also has become an excellent student while at Central Arizona JC, earning himself a 3.6 GPA last school year. Payton is expected to sign next week during the fall signing period. Congratulations to Travis Payton on his commitment from our Arizona Preps' staff, a direct result of his excellent work ethic on and off the court. No one wants to gets to giddy or have a knee-jerk reaction after one win, but UTSAtailgaters and RunnerNation can't help it. In what is the programs biggest win in the history of the men's basketball team, the Runners shocked the Iowa Hawkeyes by a score of 62-50 in front of 8,000 plus at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday night. The win is the first ever by UTSA over a Big 10 opponent and UTSA is the first team in 47 years to defeat Iowa on it's home floor in a season opener since 1962 (Yes, history was made by UTSA on the Carver Arena floor). The Runners were led by Senior Guard Morris Smith who paced the Runners with 16. Devin Gibson and True Freshman Melvin Johnson both pitched in with 12 a piece and Omar Johnson finished with 10 points. Overall the Runners had four players in double figures. Of course there were some dry spells and tightness being the first game of the year, but all in all the Runners shot at a 45% clip from three point land and followed that up with excellent free throw shooting, going 15 of 17 for an 88% mark. Devin, Omar and Mo had their usual rock solid performances, but the play of Terry Fields who showed signs of untapped potential last year, had his best game in a Runner uniform and Freshman Melvin Johnson is not shy about taking a shot and can knock them down as well. AP REPORT Morris Smith IV led five players in double figures with 16 points and Texas-San Antonio stunned Texas-San Antonio (1-0) pushed a two-point halftime lead to as much as 16 early in the second half, as Smith and Gibson buried 3-pointers to give the Roadrunners their first double-digit lead. That's exactly what happened, though, as Threes from Matt Gatens and Cully Payne and a layup by May helped Johnson gave the Roadrunners an early boost with four threes - including a wide-open shot from the corner - to help Texas-San Antonio jump ahead 24-19 with just under 5 minutes left in the first half. Sunday night's loss emphasized just how much of a rebuilding year it's expected to be for the Hawkeyes, who lost four players - including starters Jake Kelly and Jeff Peterson - to offseason transfers. Hawkeyes junior center Jarryd Cole is the only player who's been with the program for three seasons and even he missed most of his freshman year with a knee injury. Payne had 12 points in his debut and Cole added 13 rebounds. Texas-San Antonio, on the other hand, brought back three starters from a team that finished 19-13 last season. The Roadrunners threw a major scare into
B-BALL TEAM STRUGGLES (ADDED 2/13)
GARZA OFFICIAL VISIT (Added 1/9)
JUDKINS TRANSFERRING TO UTSA (Added 1/5)
FOOTBALL QUICK HITS (Added 1/4)
DEFENSIVE TACKLE COMMITS TO UTSA (Added 12/31)
BIG MAN SAID TO HAVE 7' 2" WING SPAN (Added 12/19)
SAFETY COMMITS DURING OFFICIAL VISIT (Added 12/16)
JOHN WALKER FOLLOW UP (Added 12/11)
MATT LEBATO EYED BY UTSA (Added 12/8)
RODNEY GIVENS UPDATE (Added 11/30)
DE/LB HAS SCHOLARSHIP OFFER (Added 11/28)
DB HAS SCHOLARSHIP OFFER (Added 11/25)
FRANKS INTERESTED IN UTSA (Added 11/18)
4 DEFENSIVE RECRUITS (Added 11/15)
3 EARLY PERIOD SIGNEES SO FAR (Added 11/12)
PARKER HEADED TO UNC-GREENSBORO (Added 11/9)
BASKETBALL RECRUIT #4? (Added 11/5)
BASKETBALL RECRUIT #3 (Added 11/4)
Game Report 11/15 @ Iowa Hawkeyes
Box Score 62-50 Win @ Iowa Hawkeyes
| TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO ROADRUNNERS | ||||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS |
| Omar Johnson, G | 37 | 4-5 | 1-2 | 1-3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| Devin Gibson, G | 40 | 3-12 | 2-3 | 4-4 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 12 |
| Morris Smith IV, G | 31 | 2-7 | 2-6 | 10-10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| Terry Fields, F | 36 | 6-12 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 |
| Josh Bonney, C | 27 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS |
| Melvin Johnson III, G | 12 | 4-9 | 4-8 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| Demarco Stepter, C | 17 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| TOTALS | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | |
| 19-48 | 9-20 | 15-17 | 5 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 17 | 62 | ||
| 39.6% | 45.0% | 88.2% | ||||||||||
| IOWA HAWKEYES | ||||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS |
| Jarryd Cole, F | 36 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 3-6 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| Devan Bawinkel, G | 20 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Anthony Tucker, G | 31 | 2-10 | 1-9 | 0-0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Aaron Fuller, F | 13 | 2-7 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Matt Gatens, G | 39 | 2-9 | 1-6 | 4-4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 9 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS |
| Cully Payne, G | 29 | 4-11 | 3-8 | 1-2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Eric May, G | 28 | 5-10 | 0-3 | 3-4 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| Brennan Cougill, F-C | 4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTALS | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | |
| 17-50 | 5-27 | 11-16 | 14 | 36 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 18 | 50 | ||
| 34.0% | 18.5% | 68.8% | ||||||||||
| 4 DEFENSIVE RECRUITS (Added 11/15) The San Antonio Express News reported last week that four new offers had gone out to football recruits. UTSAtailgaters wanted to provide an in depth look at just who these new targets for the 2010 class are and give our take on what the chances are. UTSA just landed it's first LB commit last week in Humble's John Walker. Well Coach Coker and staff are hot on the trail of a couple more. Klein OLB Kevin Kisseberth is the most bally-hooed of the new targets amongst the recruiting services. Kevin is a rock at the OLB spot. He stands 6'3" & 220 pounds and rivals.com reports a 4.6 40yard dash. He is rated a mid 3 star recruit and graded at 5.6. Kevin has a who's who of offers, Chances: Not likely; Kisseberth has the Gophers as his clear cut leader. After his visit in mid September he almost committed. A huge positive is that it's been almost two months since that visit and Kevin has yet to commit and the possibility of a coaching change is always a red flag for recruits. We don't want to get our hopes up because we know LC and staff can recruit and never underestimate LC's championship pedigree, but don't hold your breath RunnerNation. Humble Kingwood OLB Robert Singletary has flown under the radar for quite sometime, but word is beginning to get out on the Kingwood LB. Robert stands 6'4" 215 pounds & 4.7 40 yard dash. Rivals lists him as a WR and OLB. According to his coach Singletary can also play DE. His offer list is small, but appears to be growing and has some major Big XII programs lined up for an official visit. Current offers are UTSA, Army and Navy. No dates have been confirmed but reports say that Singletary will be taking official visits to both CU and Mizzou in Big XII North Country. (n/a ranking or grade by rivals) (Scout has him a 1 star with no official evaluation; Also lists him at 6'5" 225 pounds) Chances: Average (leaning towards not likely); A recruit is only invited for an official visit when an offer is extended. An athletic department and university will not cover all the costs and travel expenses associated with an official visit if they did not want to extend an offer to the kid. If UTSA's competition were only the service academies then all the better, but with the Big XII schools stepping in, our chances of average may decrease to not likely very soon. One of the four offers did go to a local prospect and that happens to be SA Reagan DB Kyle Davis. Listed at 6'0" 195 pounds and a 4.5 40yard dash. Chances: Average; If location and family are variables, this would be a strong or very strong chance. However, we have not been able to confirm or do a follow up with Kyle, or any of the new targets to state otherwise. With his current offer list and what Coach Coker is doing at UTSA, we like our chances, but we'll leave this one as average for now until we get any further news. Finally, Bastrop Safety Bernard Blake is the final new target. Bernard is currently not listed on either major recruiting network, Rivals or Scout. However we were able to confirm that Bernard stands 6'0" and 160 pounds with no 40 time reported. Reports have Blake as the best defensive player on the Chances: Average; A safety who would get the opportunity to compete for immediate playing time and play for a Coach of the magnitude of LC and the reputation of his staff is always a plus. We'll definitely be trying to get a follow up on where Bernard stands. |
| 3 EARLY PERIOD SIGNEES SO FAR (Added 11/12) We have confirmed that Arizona Central PG Travis Payton signed his his LOI earlier today. Travis is a nationally recruited juco pg with schools such as UTSAtailgaters.com has confirmed that McDonalds All-American Nominee Jordan Sims of Liberty HS (AZ) will signed his letter of intent for UTSA today, at approximately 2:15pm We have confirmed that Madison Post Tyler Wood did sign his LOI Wednesday morning and is also a Roadrunner. |
| PARKER HEADED TO UNC-GREENSBORO (Added 11/9) Utsatailgaters has learned that Drew Parker (PG, LaPorte HS) has decided to end his recruitment and commited recently to UNC-Greensboro of the Southern Conference. In a story broken by Texas Hoops, Parker one of the best PG's in the entire state of The story references the status of the overall program on how he wants to help build a program coming off of five wins, the academic success of the business school and the feeling he got of the university is what made him chose UNC-Greensboro. Of the Top 20 Texas propsects for 2010, Parker is the the 9th commitment to go outside of the state of Parker can sign on the first day of the early signing period which falls on November 11th. Sidenote: The breaking story by Texashoops also said that "a capacity crowd of roughly 24,000 fans" played a key part in Drew choosing UNC-Greensboro. Might be an error or typo as http://www.uncgspartans.com reports that their gymnasium is built for 1800 people to view men's basketball and the max capcity crowd that UNC-G has ever had was just over 2,300. |
| BASKETBALL RECRUIT #4? (Added 11/5) Continuing where we've left off with the b-ball commits and updates, UTSAtailgaters was able to speak with Irving Ranchview SG, EJ Jefferson and get an update on how things are going, "I had a chance to go to Dallas Pinkston HS to play or Murrah HS in Mississippi, but right now I'm just focusing on my grades because I know college is going to be hard." EJ was commenting on the fact that he will not be able to play for his HS basketball team this year because of UIL rules that state EJ has used all of his eligibility. As for staying in shape and keeping his game fine tuned, "I workout, I shoot in the morning and on Saturdays I've been shooting." The 6'3" 180lb SG has offers from UTSA, UNT and has been highly recruited by Drake, "I haven't gotten any other offers (since we last spoke), but I think I might make a decision. I just really haven't talked to the coaches. My coach says that some coaches have called, but again I've been really focusing on my school work. Drake hasn't offered, but they're asking to see my transcript." So with the offers he has and the schools evaluating him does EJ have a favorite or is he leaning towards any school, "Right now, UTSA is my number one fit. They're definitely in my top two. The last coach I talked to was Coach Renegar and that was this past summer. I haven't been out there, but I'll probably make an official visit soon." We went on to ask EJ if he would be making his decision and be signing during the up coming early signing period which starts on Next Wednesday, November 11th, "I think this coming week during the early signing period I'll make my decision." If |
| BASKETBALL RECRUIT #3 (Added 11/4) One week from today, high school seniors and juco transfers will be able to sign on the dotted line to further their basketball playing days at the next level. One who will do so is the newest commit to Coach Brooks Thompson and UTSA. Payton stands 6'0" and is revered as a true point guard and one of the best at the Juco level. Such schools as Payton is now the 3rd commit for the 2010 recruiting class and 2nd from the Sidenote: Previously Utsatailgaters had learned that the UTSA staff was aiming to try and have 5 signees during the early signing period. We'll be tracking the recruiting trail to see if UTSA does in fact get there signees. Overall, UTSA has 8 scholarships available for the 2010 class, leaving 5 slots available. Also, Coach Jeff Renegar was the lead recruiter for Payton. The following story is courtesy of arizonapreps.com: Anthony Ray ArizonaPreps.com Recruiting Analyst While he had considered waiting late to make his college decision, Payton decided to end his college recruitment late Tuesday evening. Payton decided to give a verbal commitment to the University of Texas-San Antonio and Head Coach Brooks Thompson. Texas-San Antonio assistant coach Jeff Renegar was instrumental in the recruitment of Payton. Renegar, a long-time recruiter of the state of "It is a great fit for me," said Payton. "I told them I was just ready to be a Roadrunner." Very few junior college point guard prospects in Payton was also being recruited by such schools as Payton also has become an excellent student while at Central Arizona JC, earning himself a 3.6 GPA last school year. Payton is expected to sign next week during the fall signing period. Congratulations to Travis Payton on his commitment from our Arizona Preps' staff, a direct result of his excellent work ethic on and off the court. |
| NICK GARZA UPDATE (Added 11/3) In the recent past there had been some questions about why McAllen WR Nick Garza was not being listed on the commitment list of UTSA by other outlets. Utsatailgaters was able to do a follow up with Nick and see how the season is going along with checking on the status of his commitment. As for the season thus far, here's what Nick had to say, "We just beat our crosstown rival Memorial this past Friday. We're 6-2 and our district record is 4-1 with a match up looming this coming Friday with La Joya Palmview. We've had some key injuries on the team, but we've all managed to play our part and step up in big roles. We've all had positive attitudes towards reaching our goals regardless of the injuries." McAllen High has been riddled with injuries this year and in some part it's helped Nick as he has shown some extreme versatility. The injuries have thrust Nick into playing running back for the first time in his high school playing days, "I've been trying to help teammates and coaches out. Fill up those spots were we've had injuries. Not only am i a wide receiver, I've been running the ball a lot. Having to step in to learn a new spot at running back, hard work and being there everyday has really helped out. I've just about played running back every game this year. I think only the first two that i didn't." With the regular season winding down, the grinding, the running and hard work Nick has put in, has resulted in him losing a couple of pounds but nothing at all to worry about, "I've decreased in weight. I'm still 6'3", but i would probably say I'm 196lbs. I definitely think that I will add more weight at the next level. There's a lot of work for improvement in becoming bigger and stronger." Back in July when we did our initial story on Nick he was a little over 200 pounds. In finishing our interview with Nick, Utsatailgaters wanted to know has anything changed at all concerning his recruitment and or his commitment to UTSA, "Recruiting wise I still get letters every now and then. They're just mail outs, everyone gets mail outs from colleges everywhere. Basically, UTSA is the place where I'm going to be. I'm shutting it down from here. I'm 100% committed. I brag about it all the time." Garza is one of four talent WR commits for the 2010 class. Nick's combination of size and speed will make him a very attractive target in the Runner offense whether it be over the middle or stretching the field. Garza is a nice, low key, low-profile student athlete, but UTSA and RunnerNation are very well aware of what type of potential he has when he steps foot onto that Alamodome field. RunnerNation will be waiting and watching. (2) Sidenotes: Garza's teammate and UTSA target, OL Scott Inskeep has been in recent contact with the UTSA coaching staff and Utsatailgaters is trying to reach Scott for a follow up to see how his recruitment is going. Another friend and teammate of Nick is Cody Mullvain (OL 6'3-6'4" 315lbs). He has informed the UTSA coaching staff that he will be attending UTSA as his choice of university. Cody does not have an offer but has been guaranteed a walk on spot to compete for a position as an O-lineman. Nick gives Cody high praise and says that he's really flown under the radar and for RunnerNation to keep an eye out for him, "If I'm not running behind Scott Inskeep it's Cody who's making my wholes." |
| UTSA ADDS WR FROM CENTRAL CATHOLIC (Added 11/1) Another commit who has been part of the UTSA football recruiting frenzy is Central Catholic WR Jake Wanamaker. Wanamaker committed to Coach Coker and UTSA earlier this month and the Express News had a story on Jake. A couple of weeks have passed and Utsatailgaters was able to speak with Jake for a follow up. "I committed on October 7th. I've been getting a bunch of letters from other schools. Four Ivy league schools, SMU, UTEP, Montana State, Idaho & the service academy's (Air Force and Army). I don't have any other offers." Wanamaker has been recruited as a WR, but has been very impressive playing on the other side of the ball for the first time this year in the defensive backfield, "I was definitely recruited as a receiver. Coach Ross was really impressed because the game he went to I had two interceptions and that really impressed him." Has Jake talked to the coaches about possibly playing both ways or even contributing on special teams, "I mean it's not for sure on the position. I've done special teams since I've been playing football, but i guess that all depends on the type of athletes we have. I know that two way athletes aren't too common, but it's just what the team needs. I've been playing WR since I've been playing football, that's where I'm more experienced at. I'm here to do what the team needs. Jake is one of four WR commitments thus far for the inaugural 2010 class. His versatility, speed and team first attitude are definitely good traits that will help Jake possibly see the field that much more. With a year to red shirt and further learn his position, Jake will be in a nice spot to prepare himself for PT during the 2011 season. Wanamaker does have good size standing in at 6'1" and 188 pounds and above average speed, "At the UTSA camp I ran a 4.5 flat. Then about a week later I ran a 4.49 at the Jake is now the tenth local commit out of 18 total. We asked Jake what made him choose UTSA, "It's mainly because of the location. I'm really close with my family especially when it comes to football. I've always wanted to play at a location where they could see me play. Also, Larry Coker. I'm very familiar with him as a coach. That really attracted me to UTSA as well." As a player, what can RunnerNation expect from Jake, "I want to improve. I just want to be a student of the game and with someone like Coach Coker he can help me become more knowledgeable of the game. I want to bring a form of leadership." Does Jake plan on continuing the recruiting process or is he done, "I mean I haven't closed any doors, that just wouldn't be a wise decision of me, but I'm definitely committed to UTSA." Jake will be an interesting commit to keep our eye on. His versatility, size and speed make him a prime candidate to be all over the field, offense, defense and special teams. His commitment along with others in the past couple of weeks have grown the count to 18 commits meaning that only seven scholarships remain for the goal of 25 that Coach Coker wanted to hand out for 2010. Stay tuned as we near NSD and the inaugural class of 2010 for UTSA. |
| TYLER LINEBACKER CONSIDERING UTSA (Added 10/31) With the 2010 class rounding out very nicely, from WR's, to DB's to O-lineman, UTSA has yet to nab it's first Linebacker commit. That all may be changing very soon if an offer heads in the way of Cliff Caldwell over at John Tyler. "UTSA is definitely high on my list. I don't want to leave As for other schools that are pursuing As for Cliff's physical tools, he just got measured and weighed last weekend, "Just last weekend I measured in at 5'11" @ 227lbs." Cliff may not be that prototypical 6'2" or 6'3" MLB, but he sure is faster than most, "Last time I ran a 40 yard time was at a summer camp this past summer, I ran a 4.5." What Cliff may not have in height, he makes up for in quickness, agility and a non-stop motor that are reasons he has offers and is still getting letters from some of the top programs in the country. We will keep you posted RunnerNation if in deed Cliff does get an offer and if a commitment will shortly follow. |
| JADE PENDER UPDATE (Added 10/27) With the inaugural 2010 recruiting class filling up in a hurry for UTSA, UTSAtailgaters took a timeout to catch up with our only out of state commit (OOS) thus far, Jade Pender of Castleview HS (CO). "Things are going good, we're playing Liberty HS this Friday. This past Friday we upset the 10th ranked team in the state, Lewis Palmer, 27-13. At the half we trailed 13-7,but we came back and had a turnaround. I had 2 catches for 30 yards, both went for touchdowns. We're in 2nd place right now in our league." Jade is also playing both ways this season as a starter at defensive end as well. He tallied three sacks, one in the first half & two in the second. Physically, Jade has lost some weight, but continues to grow, "I've lost a little weight. I got up to 225lbs, but I'm back down to 217. My goal is to be about 240lbs and I'm already 6'5" & 1/2. I can gain wait really easy and I think I'll reach 6'6". How has being the only OOS player committed to UTSA going for Jade, " We have a huge bond. I talk to a lot of the kids. I talk to them once a week. It's unbelievable how close we are with each other. I'd say there's 3 or 4 guys that I talk with the most. Chris Dorsey is my boy. On the recruiting front we asked Jade if he's surprised and if he's been able to keep up with the flurry of recruiting news surrounding UTSA the last couple of weeks, "I heard about Corey Brite from Giddings. I'm not surprised at all about the number of commits and the level of talent. Not at all. For me specifically, I turn on the TV & I see Greg Olsen, Bubba Franks, Jeremy Shockey, and Kellen Winslow II and they were all coached by Coach Coker." All though we're still just over four months from the 2010 class singing their Letters of intent (LOI), we asked Jade if he's heard anything as far as when the 2010 class will begin working out, "I've heard several different things. There is no confirmed date. I know that they're going to have some workouts over the summer, but with a whole year there is no need to rush it, maybe wait until the start of school." |
| TYLER JOHN TYLER DB COMMIT (Added 10/24) When it comes to being a DB at any level, you have to have confidence and a certain level of moxy that comes natural in holding your position and is required when left alone on an island to man up. Confidence and moxy is something that recent UTSA commit Darrien Starling has, "I bring a lot. I can lock down any receiver I line up against and I can be very physical. If anything, I need to improve on my angles and not always rely on my speed." Starling stands 5'9" 175lbs and was last clocked at a 4.48 40yard dash in a combine this past summer. For what Starling might lack in size, he makes up with his physical type of play and strong mentality. Darrien committed to UTSA a couple of weeks back and Utsatailgaters wanted to see what went into his decision in becoming a Runner, "First thing is the coaching prestige of Coach Coker. Winning a BCS National Championship at Darrien was the third DB commit for Coach Coker and company. Since his decision, over the past two weeks Jake Wanamaker (Central Catholic; WR/DB) and Corey Brite (Giddings; Ath) have also committed to UTSA and both have spent time playing in the defensive backfield this year as well. Along with UTSA, Darrien was also receiving serious interest from UTEP, SMU and Sidenote: Darrien's teammate and life long childhood friend Cliff Caldwell (5'10" 225lbs) who plays MLB for John Tyler has also expressed a very high interest in UTSA. |
| OFFENSIVE LINE SHAPING UP (Added 10/22) Football commitments have been coming in at a torid pace recently for Coach Coker and company over at UTSA. In the last two weeks recent commitments have come from DB Darrien Starling, OL Cody Harris, Ath Corey Brite and now OL Drew Phillips. Phillips is a 6'4" 250lbs O-lineman from Steele HS. Drew was nice enough to give Utsatailgaters a couple of minutes and do a follow up on his recent commitment to UTSA. "I committed on Saturday, October 17." What sold Drew on becoming a Runner, "It's real close to home. My family is close and my parents want to go to my games and Coach Coker is a well known coach." Phillips is now the the fourth O-line commit to UTSA for the 2010 class. His height with some added weight could make him an intriguing prospect to man a tackle spot, but Phillips is versatile to also play in the interior if needed, "I don't have a preference on where I play. The coaches haven't really talked about it. I currently play both guard and tackle for my team." With a year to red shirt, adding weight or muscle should not be a problem for Drew. As for recruiting, Drew considers himself a solid commit to UTSA, "I'm definitely committed, but if a major D-1 program school offered I would have to weigh my options. I didn't have any other offers. Phillips is a part of the inaugural class of road-graters for UTSA. While the glitz and glamour usually belong to the skilled positions, the trenches is where the game is won. Phillips and his fellow O-lineman will be a very important part of UTSA's development and success as a young football team. |
| CODY HARRIS FOLLOW UP (Added 10/21) UTSA is continuing their search for beef up front and this past week it was made public that a hometown recruit did in fact commit to UTSA. The story initially broke with the Express News, but utsatailgaters was able to get a couple of minutes from commitment #16, O-Lineman Cody Harris of Smithson Valley HS. "I committed about two weeks ago. On Saturday October 3rd." Harris plays Right Tackle for his high school team and currently stands at 6'5" and about 275 pounds. Utsatailgaters asked Cody if it was discussed where he might be used on the O-line. "They've asked me what I want to play. I love right tackle and that's where I love to play." With Cody's height, he has the ideal frame to become a bookend tackle to man the strong side of the O-line. It's a given that with a year of red-shirting to lift weights and get stronger, Cody will easily pack on some more pounds and be ready to help anchor that line come 2011. We wanted to know what made Cody choose UTSA, how was his recruiting go so far and is he 100% solid or will he be keeping the door open as a soft commit, "I thought it was a great opportunity. It's a start-up program, it's in my hometown and I definitely want to show people that there is a lot of good talent here in Like all 2010 high school recruits, Harris is in the middle of his senior year. Is he finished exploring all options, "I talked a lot about it with my parents and I'm done. I'm a solid commitment to UTSA. UTSA is where I want to be." As our interview wound down, we asked Cody what will be bring to the field and what can RunnerNation expect come 2011, "Dominance, efficiency and we will be very methodical. We'll need to come together as a team. Being young we might experience some hardship and we'll need to stick together." There was definitely a maturity about Cody in speaking with him and he sounds ready to come in, work his tail off and get down to it. It is 100% clear that LC and staff are targeting not only talent, but most importantly, young kids who have a good head on their shoulders and know that hard work will be a prerequisite. Sidenote: Cody becomes the third O-line commit for 2010 with Robert Chapman and Nate Leonard being the others. Offers are still pending to Scott Inskeep from McAllen, who is considered a strong lean to UTSA, Nykiren Wellington of Holmes who has all but eliminated UTSA from consideration and Drew Philips from Steele who is still considering UTSA. |
| RODNEY GIVENS RECRUIT (Added 10/19) Rodney Givens is a 6'2" 190lbs SG for Bishop Miege HS in Thus far, Rodney has yielded two scholarship offers but many more programs are picking up serious interest in him. UTSA and Oral Roberts are the first two to offer with Western Kentucky, Givens is the eighth known target of Coach Thompson for the 2010 class. With eight seniors, UTSA will need to reload especially at the guard/wing position and Givens appears to be a nice fit and has a legitimate interest in UTSA with him wanting to come down for a visit. We will keep RunnerNation posted and stay tuned for a follow up. |
| JORDAN DIDIER UPDATE (Added 10/16) UTSAtailgaters learned of an offer to AZ big man Jordan Didier earlier last month. It was also at that same time that Didier made it public that he would be going the prep school route and become a part of the 2011 class. We wanted to get a follow up and see if anything has changed for Didier since then and we were able to talk with Didier's head coach, Dave Lopez over at St. Mary's HS about that story that broke on "I had heard about it. I talked to him about it, since I teach I see him in my classroom. I really told him that recruiting is a chess match. You need to take advantage of all your opportunities. If you give people the perception that you're going the prep route, then your recruiting is done. They won't recruit you anymore." Other than UTSA and Hofstra, Coach Lopez hadn't talked to In the previous story, it was reported that Didier has already put on ten pounds to his frame, so we asked Coach Lopez how was that going for Jordan, "He's 6'8" and now closer to 200lbs. He looks real good and his upper body is looking stronger." As for We were not able to confirm or get any details on when Stay tuned as utsatailgaters will be following the recruitment of Jordan Didier. |
| KEVIN BROWN HEADED TO C-USA (Added 10/12) Kevin Brown, the 42nd ranked prospect in the state of Brown is the one of the many recent recruits who Utsatailgaters has learned were on the radar or an actual targets of Coach Thompson and staff at UTSA. The Following story is courtesy of Texashoops.com: Damon Sayles TexasHoops.com Senior Writer This past weekend, Alief Elsik's Kevin Brown made an official visit to the When Brown left the overall atmosphere of the campus and the city of Brown, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound point guard, said he enjoyed hanging out with future teammates, visiting the school of more than 50,000 students and admiring the campus' unique-but-fascinating facilities. One thing he most enjoyed was tailgating during the football team's game against "I had never done that before," Brown said. "I just had a real good time out there." Brown said representatives on the basketball team were equally hospitable, particularly head coach Kirk Speraw and assistant coach Craig Brown, who had been heavily recruiting Brown throughout the summer. "When I got there, I had felt like I was really part of the team," Brown said. "They welcomed me with open arms. The coaching staff was real cool. Coach Brown started recruiting me when we played in Vegas, and he was constantly checking on me and showing me they were really interested." Brown averaged 16 points last season at Elsik and ranked second on the team in scoring behind Amos Olatayo, who has verbally committed to Stephen F. Austin. Brown was a first-team All-District 18-5A selection for Elsik during the regular season, and he was a catalyst for both the Houston Hurricanes and HP (Hollis Price) Elite on the AAU summer circuit. Brown was recruited by UT-San Antonio, Brown during the summer showed leadership after helping the Hurricanes make the finals of the Bryan/College Station Great American Shoot-Out in June. Central Brown's biggest asset is his size. He is bigger than most of the "[Speraw] told me how he wanted me to fit in and play like a big point guard," Brown said. "He's looking for something a little different. I know I can go there and try to be the best I can and also make the team the best it can be." |
| TYLER WOOD UPDATE (Added 10/12) As Texashoops first reported, Tyler Wood recently committed to UTSA and Coach Brooks Thompson. "A feeling I got right after I left. It's within walking distance, the whole atmosphere and my family is right down the street about fifteen to twenty minutes away." When did you actually commit, "Last Wednesday (9/30/2009)." With his commitment As for this large recruiting class of 2010, UTSA does have eight seniors this year and no word on whether all eight scholarships will be used. Texashoops had reported that UTSA already had five commits so we wanted to get We'll keep you posted on any new developments, but for the time being, RunnerNation welcome Tyler Wood!!!!! |
| LOCAL BASKETBALL PROSPECT COMING TO UTSA (Added 10/8) 6'6" PF Tyler Wood of Wood is known as a well rounded player who has a nice mid range jumper to compliemnt his post play. Wood is a solid rebounder and like most Brooks Thompson recruits will get after it on the defensive side as well. Wood's committment is truly significant in getting local kids to recognize that UTSA, right in their own backyard is a major player for Sidentoe: Texashoops reports that UTSA already has 5 verbal commitments. UTSAtailgaters is working to try and confirm as we are only aware of two commits. The following story is courtesy of rivals.com: Blue Zertuche TexasHoops.com Recruiting Analyst Tyler Wood is set on the Southland Conference. The San Antonio Madison Maverick is excited about the future and the all the possibilities of entering a program that has already received five verbal commitments. Wood isn't going far when it comes to distance from home, but he hopes his basketball career will lead to an NCAA berth. "I committed to UTSA [UT-San Antonio]," said Wood, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound power forward. "It took me a few weeks to decide and talk to my parents and Coach [John] Valenzuela, but in the end, it was UTSA that wanted me the most." Wood had one other school that was a possibility in Stephen F. Austin, but he felt they wanted him to wait till the spring. "SFA hadn't offered, but they showed interest by showing up to my workouts and talking with me," he said. "They made it sound like they were unsure of whether they wanted me now or later. UTSA came in and offered and got me on campus. That's all I needed." The Roadrunners are in a unique situation of signing at least five players in the early period in November, and Wood says that having that many new players enter at the same time shows a lot of promise in the program. "To think of that many players coming in at the same time will build a lot of chemistry," Wood said. "We will be able to stay together for four years and make something happen. I feel that if we can build good relationships with each other, then we will be successful. We will learn how to play together, and that will lead to winning and hopefully the NCAA tournament." Wood will be teaming up with ex-Maverick, Larry Wilkens, who is currently on the Roadrunners roster. Though Wood is moving a few miles up the road from home, Wood adds that distance wasn't a deciding factor. "I would have gone anywhere if I liked the program," said Wood. "It just happens that the place that I want to be is in The Mavericks are always in contention for a title, and Wood is glad that the recruiting process is over. "I am stress free now," he said. "I can now be a better teammate and not have to be worrying about my recruitment. I just want to go out and play basketball and have my mind focused on district, playoffs and then state. TexasHoops Analysis: elbow jumper or dump off passes into the post and hit the open wing. He goes to the board strong, has nice bounce around the rim and is a hard worker on defense. He is just a solid all-around player with nothing flashy to his game but does a lot of things well. |
| LOUISIANA BIG CONSIDERING UTSA (Added 10/8) What seems to be a flurry of fall recruiting is really heating up for UTSA and Head Coach Brooks Thompson. Utsatailgaters has learned of another UTSA target and this one is a big man down low. So how did the UTSA official visit go? "He liked everything he saw. He had a really nice time.", according to Coach Tew. Along with UTSA, what are some of the schools after T.J., " Where does UTSA stand in his list of favorites or schools that TJ is considering and when might a decision be made, "I'd say he's wide open, but he's seriously considering UTSA, La-Monroe & Southeast Louisiana. I think he's leaning and could make a decision at any minute, but he could also decide to sit down and sign during the spring signing period." Williams has developed the reputation of being a high energy/physical player around the rim and down low in the paint. Recently, Williams entered the La. Tech Exposure Fall camp as the #2 big man only behind Texas A&M commit Courtney Roberson, 6'9" 215lbs 3 star prospect who was ranked #131 as a national prospect in the Rivals National 150. Rivals Senior Writer Justin Young had Williams winning the head to head battle and really liked his savvy around the hoop and would consistently get up and down the court ready to bang for some more. Literally on the same day Utsatailgaters talks to T.J. Williams' coach, Coach Tew, T.J. also does a follow up with rivals.com. For the most part everything is on the same page, but Williams is now saying that he will take his time and when he is ready he will pull the trigger. Williams did say that he liked the facilities and that UTSA will be losing eight seniors this year presenting the chance for immediate contributions from Freshman and underclassmen. It appears that La.-Monroe of the The Following story is courtesy of rivals.com: Dusty Thibodeaux WarhawkReport.com f your heart is just not into it, it's just not into it. This is the attitude that Jonesboro-Hodge three-star forward T.J. Williams has when it comes to committing to continue his basketball career early. "I'm just not sure I want to commit early," Williams said. "I really thought about my commitment, and my heart just isn't ready. I want to be sure about my committal once I'm ready." Already he has drawn offers from "They have nice facilities there and it really draws my interest that they are losing nine seniors after this season," he said of his visit. Another trip that may be on the horizon is to "We talk about committing together, and it would be nice to have someone on campus that you know," Williams said with a chuckle and a smile from ear to ear. Lewis will be playing basketball for the first time this season, looking to help build on William's impressive 17ppg and 17.3 rebounds last season that landed him 1stteam all-district and an honorable mention for class 2A. Both starred this summer for the AAU Nike Select team based in near-by "We did well this summer, making it to the Elite Eight in the national AAU tournament, but with players like (Matt) Darrenbecker (an LSU commit), Markel (Brown, an Oklahoma State commit), and (Langston) Galloway (a St. Joseph commit), we should have gone further," Williams said of his team's summer performance. As for the Jonesboro-Hodge Tigers, this season could be the season that they can put a solid run together. Last year's team was stopped in the first round by one point to Calvary-Baptist. "This season we should be alright, we return three of our five starters," Williams said. "When everything comes together, we'll be alright." |
| UTSA FOOTBALL PROSPECT LINKED TO UTSA (Added 10/5) With high school football in full swing now, more and more prospects who might have gone under the radar or unnoticed are starting to hear from schools as their performances start impressing on the field. One of those is Marcellus Mack. Mack is listed as an athlete for Giddings HS. Mack has had success at multiple positions thus far in the 2009 season. He's played WR, DB and special teams, showing off his versatility. Mack stands 6'1" 180lbs and is currently awaiting his first offer to play at the next level. Some programs that are evaluating Mack are CU, OSU, SMU and UTSA. Mack reports that his first offer is right around the corner as it appears that La. Tech might be ready to pull the trigger. As for UTSA, Mack reports that he has talked a lot on the phone with UTSA, Rice and La. Tech. Stay tuned for any updates RunnerNation. The following story is courtesy of rivals.com: Adam Munsterteiger BuffStampede.com Publisher Playmaking wide receiver, lockdown cornerback, punt returner, kick returner… Marcellus Mack does it all for Giddings ( The 6-foot-1, 180-pound standout could fill any of those roles when he gets to the next level. The question is: where will Mack play his college ball? "I'm still waiting for my first scholarship offer," he said. "But my coaches told me that Louisiana Tech is ready to offer me a scholarship. "Rice, "I talk a lot with Louisiana Tech, Rice and UTSA on the phone. They are all talking about coming out to watch me play this season. They also want to see some more film on me and want to see my ACT and SAT scores." Offensive line coach Denver Johnson is responsible for Mack's recruitment from the Buffaloes' staff. " Most colleges are simply recruiting Mack as an athlete. "They said they would wait until I get on campus to see where I would best fit in," he said. "I would like to play wide receiver, but it is not a big deal. I just want to be able to contribute to the team." Giddings has won their first four games of the 2009 season. They will play Robinson this Friday. "We have a new coaching staff and they are really good," Mack said. "We are spreading the ball around, passing it as much as we are running it. The season is going even better than we expected." Mack is averaging 20.5 yards per catch, 16.3 yards per punt return and 24.0 yards per kick return. |
| STEEELE TACKLE WEIGHING OPTIONS (Added 10/4) UTSAtailgaters were able to catch up with Steele Head Coach Mike Jinks for a quick moment and we have an update on Offensive Tackle Drew Phillips. "I believe he has an offer from UTSA. He's been hearing from UTEP, Steele is in the middle of a grueling schedule that includes a tilt with big brother Clemens this coming week, a tough victory in the prior week against San Marcos and a very hard fought, knock down-drag out loss to Southwest a couple of weeks back. In the midst of the season has Drew said anything about when he might make his decision, "He hasn't really said anything about making a decision. We're really focused on the season. Maybe as the season winds down, towards the end he might make a decision." Currently Coach Coker and staff have two O-line commits for the class of 2010, Clark's Robert Chapman and Sidenote: Steele HS is a fairly new school, but has quickly developed the reputation of a D-1 football factory. Along with Phillips, Steele has at least three other players for the 2010 class who are likely headed to D-1 programs or already committed in Corey Hill, Sheldon McClain (OU) and DJ Jones (UH). The 2011 class of Steele has to be one of the best in the country talent wise. With future five star RB Malcolm Brown leading the way, DT Marquis Anderson, WR Blake Gardner and LB Ryan Simmons are already garnering interest from Big XII and national programs. DE Alex Lincoln and Safety Shane Huhn also appear to be intriguing and rising D-1 prospects as well. |
| WARREN O-LINEMAN VISITS IOWA (Added 10/3) Warren O-lineman Shaban Dika recently returned from a visit to Aimes Dika has not been linked to UTSA, but as a local recruit who has Big XII teams after him, Dika would be a good option to consider anchoring any o-line. The following story is courtesy of rivals.com: Paul Clark CycloneReport.com Publisher The 6-foot-5, 295-pound Dika gave ISU rave reviews shortly after his plane landed after the return trip home to "Everything went great, I loved it a lot," Dika said. "The fans were great, especially the students. It shocked me. We walked out on the field before the game and they started yelling my name. I felt like a celebrity. They are very supportive of the program and I love that." Dika said he also got to participate in ISU's victory celebration after a 31-10 win over Army. "The offensive linemen told me to take everything out of my pockets, like my cell phone, and I was like, oh no, what are they going to do to me?" said Dika. "We prayed and then all of the sudden they were throwing water all over the place. I got soaked. It was like a locker room celebration you see on TV and they let me be right in the middle of it." The Cyclones represent the only Division I-A offer to date for the "I talked to Coach Rhoads today before I left and told him |
| ANDRE ROBERSON UPDATE (Added 10/3) A quick update on rising prospect Andre Roberson of Wagner. In the most recent Texas Hoops rankings, Roberson for the 1st time cracked the Top 30 and is now ranked #26. Not too long ago, Roberson's teammate and Blue Chip recruit Jordan Clarkson committed to The following story is courtesy of rivals.com: September 28, 2009 Matthew Christian InsideTulsaSports.com Staff Writer Talk about it in Hurricane Alley The 6-foot-4 guard Tim Peete from The other visitor was 6-foot-6 forward Andre Roberson of Converse ( "(Roberson) is pretty good," said Clarkson of his teammate. "He is really long, and he is an animal on the boards. He is about 6-foot-7." Roberson also has offers from Texas-Arlington and Stephen F. Austin, and his play this summer has earned him attention from a growing list of programs. "I am getting interest from Roberson has taken an unofficial visit to Texas Tech, and he says he is being patient with his recruiting process while he attempts to improve physically. "I need to add weight and get stronger as I grow," he explained. "I basically go to the gym everyday and workout. I want to stay relaxed through all of this and my parents help me with stuff. I don't mind waiting until spring if I have to before making a decision." Roberson is still growing into his frame, and based on his family tree, he has tremendous upside. "My parents played sports at Along with Roberson, |
| A THIRD RUNNING BACK? (Added 9/30) Just last week UTSAtailgaters learned that a 2nd RB commit had been added to the inaugural 2010 class. Just a couple days later, a new potential recruit has emerged and he does play two positions and one of them happens to be RB as well. Angleton Sr. Terrance Franks who stands 5'11" 190lbs and plays both DB & RB, is reporting that he will be be visiting UTSA in the near future along with a visit to Coach Price and UTEP. Now Franks does not officially report an offer from UTSA, but he has come away very impressed with Larry Coker at the helm, the potential of being able to contribute from the beginning and to establish something great is what has caught Franks attention. Franks does have more of an ideal frame being near 6'0" to possibly play in the secondary. UTSA currently only has 2 DB commits and with 2 RB commits already for 2010, the numbers might be tight at the RB position. In the end LC and staff will decide where Franks can best help the team if he does in fact become a Runner. The following story is courtesy of scout.com: TPI-Houston Writer Head coach Finis Vanover has numerous options to call upon for his 4-0 Angleton Wildcats, among them senior RB Terrance Franks. The 5-11, 190-pound Franks is one of four Wildcats that have over 200 yards rushing for the sixth-ranked team in Class 4A. His skills were on display in Friday's 37-14 rout of Despite the presence of highly-touted teammates QB/DB Quandre Diggsand RB/CB Henry Josey, major college programs have paid attention to Franks, who averages more than six yards per carry. Franks has planned visits to UT-San Antonio and UTEPand has also received several letters from LSU. "It's pretty early in the process for me," said Franks. "Right now, my main focus is to concentrate on helping my teammates win each Friday. When the season ends -- hopefully in late December -- I'll take the time to really look at what school is right for me." Franks doesn't have a clear-cut leader, but is impressed by the possibilities presented by UTSA, which will begin its Division I program in 2010. "Coach (Larry) Coker is a great coach and has a lot of promising things in store for that program," he said. "The most intriguing aspect of the school is that it would be exciting to come into a new program and be able to contribute from the outset." In the meantime, Franks and the Wildcats will begin preparations for this Friday's matchup against defending 4A, Region III, Division I champion Friendswood. "They're good," said Franks of the Mustangs. "We know they throw the ball a lot, so we know we have to be prepared for that. |
| ARIZONA RECRUIT GOES PREP (Added 9/27) With impressive AAU play this past summer, Jordan Didier has landed on the radar of some College programs. Most interesting to RunnerNation, UTSAtailgaters has learned that Didier does in fact have an offer from UTSA. Didier is a slender big man who stands 6'8"-6'9" and 185lbs. He is beginning his Senior year in Arizona, but this past week Didier filled in ArizonaPreps.com that he will be taking a year of prep school after his senior year to increase his size and physical frame in order to be ready for the next level during the 2011 class. As a prospect overall his game and skill set has led scouts, Inc of ESPN to consider him one of the most intriguing big men on the west coast and has earned him a grade of 86 (HIGH MAJOR PROSPECT). Didier is known more for having a finesse game with a very nice jumper. His range can stretch beyond the three point line and Didier has showed to be able to knock down the shot with consistency. Didier has developed moves in the low paint, but is still working on his frame in order to truly become an effective low post player and utilize his length and size. The UTSA coaching staff continues to use it's Ariozona ties to dip into the talent of the The following story is courtesy of rivals.com: Anthony Ray ArizonaPreps.com Recruiting Analyst Since moving back to the state of Didier attended St. Mary's HS during his sophomore year, where he turned in a solid sophomore season for the Knights during the 2007-08 season. After having to find his place in the Knight's then deep rotation, he developed throughout the year and helped the Knights reach the 5A Division-I championship game, before they eventually lost to Desert Vista HS in the finals. At the completion of the high school season, Didier would then have to move with his mother, Laurie Didier, to While attending a Bishop Dwenger HS in This summer Didier had a very strong performance on the AAU/club circuit while traveling with the Arizona Magicand Head Coach Kenny Mullins. Didier helped lead the Magic to numerous wins this summer, including a Final-Four finish in the Las Vegas Center Stage tournament in July, and also a 3-0 record in this summer's prestigious Duel in the Desert Invitational held at Mesquite HS in As a result of his play, Didier earned official scholarship offers from such schools as Texas-San Antonio and Hofstra, with numerous others schools showing serious interest in the talented forward prospect. While Didier likes the idea of going to college at the completion of his senior season this year at St. Mary's, he has advised Arizona Preps that he has decided to attend a prep school next fall to gain more strength physically and prepare himself mentally for the college level. "I am working hard on my body right now," said Didier. "I know in a year from now I will be better prepared to play a higher level of college basketball." Didier advised us that he is still unsure as to which prep school he will attend next fall, but that he plans to go somewhere with his close personal friend and high school teammate George Matthews. "We want to stay together, if we can" said Didier. "George is my best friend." Since the end of the summer evaluation period, Didier has hit the weights hard and has already added close to 10 pounds to his once thin frame, which now looks much more stronger these days. Another year of weight training and skill development, comprised with the fact that he will become a member of "I am focused more than ever this year," said Didier. "I want to win a state championship." Also a good student, Didier told us that he currently has better than a 3.0 GPA and would like to study business in college. Arizona Preps will continue to follow Didier's play this season closely, and continue to bring you any recruiting updates as they continue to develop. |
| UTSA PERSUING LAPORTE HS BALLER (Added 9/26) UTSAtailgaters learned this past week that an offer has been made to LaPorte PG Drew Parker. Parker currently ranks as the #17 ranked Texas Senior for 2010 and utsatailgaters was able to get a little more insight on Parker himself and where UTSA stands with him. "He has great leadership. This will be his fourth year on varsity at the 5A level. He's a great student and he'll graduate in either the top 5 or top 10 of his class", said Coach Mason (LaPorte HS Head Coach). Athletically, Parker is known as a true point. He can break down the defense of the dribble, is known to push the ball ahead to his teammates and is always looking for the open player. Drew has been evaluated as having a nice jump shot up to three point range, but does need to work on his shot being consistent. Some of the schools according to Coach Mason that are showing interest in Drew are Columbia, Dartmouth, UNC-Greensboro, Cal-Poly and other SLC schools along with UTSA. We asked Coach Mason where UTSA stands with Drew, "He's very interested. He and Coach Thompson had a long talk and that means a lot to him. I'm not sure when, but he will be going down there for a visit." Coach Mason also filled us in and let us know that dating back to his junior high days, Drew just knows how to win as thus far all three years on varsity have resulted in more than 20+ wins each season. Drew looks to make 2009-2010 his fourth straight year of 20+ wins. With all the talent in the state of |
| ARMSTRONG BECOMES 2ND RB ON SQUAD (Added 9/24) This past Friday night Roosevelt All Purpose Running Back (APB) Brandon Armstrong committed to UTSA. Armstrong makes the 2nd RB commit for the 2010 class and joins teammate DB Crosby Adams as the the second RunnerNation welcome Brandon Armstrong as commitment #13 to UTSA for 2010. The following story is courtesy of the San Antonio Express News: By Dan McCarney- Express-News Fresh off his pledge to UTSA, "I'll take anything I can get as long as we win," said Armstrong, who ran for a 71-yard TD on the first play from scrimmage. "Two carries, it doesn't matter. As long as we win, I'm good." Armstrong said he committed to UTSA on Friday night. He brings the school's haul of commitments to 11. He joins a handful of area standouts on the list, including Bandera quarterback Cole Hubble and East Central running back Chris Johnson. "I feel good about it," he said. "The coaches and everything are nice. It's going to be fun. But I'm focusing on this year." Trailing 7-0, Lee (1-2, 0-1 in District 26-5A) answered with an 11-play, 74-yard scoring drive to pull within one. Volunteers quarterback Noel Miller completed three passes, including 15 yards to Richard Jordan on 4th-and-4, before scoring on a 2-yard keeper. The PAT failed. Armstrong got the nod on The TD kicked off a stretch of 42 unanswered points that carried |
| FIRST 2010 BASKETBALL COMMITTMENT (Added 9/23) Brooks Thompson and staff are off and running. What all of RunnerNation has been hoping to hear all summer, finally happened as we literally begin fall. Thompson tapped into his Early on in recruiting Sims was being courted heavily by RunnerNation is ecstatic to have the first 2010 b-ball commit on board, welcome Jordan Sims. Go Runners! The following story is courtesy of rivals.com: Jordan Sims decides on Anthony Ray ArizonaPreps.com Recruiting Analyst This week, while on an official visit to Texas-San Antonio, Sims has decided to end his college recruitment, giving a verbal pledge to Head Coach Brooks Thompson and his basketball staff. Texas-San Antonio assistant coach Jeff Renegar was instrumental in the college recruitment of Sims, and worked vbery hard to seal the deal with the talented wing prospect. "I really liked Coach (Brooks) Thompson," said Sims. Sims visited Texas-San Antonio on Thursday and will return home from the school today (Saturday). Liberty HS Head Coach Mark Wood was also very helpful in the recruiting process of Sims, as he has also been very instrumental in Sims' life since he began attending Liberty HS as a youngster. A definite sleeper among players on the West Coast, Sims is coming off a very strong summer performance where he helped lead his Arizona Magic Elite squad to several top finishes, including a final-four appearance in the Star Vision Center Stage Tournament in Sims received serious interest early from such schools as Sims is also a solid student and should have no problems qualifying academically. |
| UTSA EYES ANOTHER TOP PROSPECT (Added 9/22) Last week UTSAtailgaters broke that Brooks Thompson and staff had offered a Texas Top 20 player & Arkansas-LR commit, Reggie Sonnier. This week we've learned that another talented prospect does in fact have a UTSA offer and is a target. Drew Parker of LaPorte HS has a slew of mid-major offers and the Runners are included. UTSA is competing against some other SLC schools, as Parker is not only a standout on the court, but he also excels in the classroom as well. Parker is reported to be in the Top 5 students for his class. Yes, the individual Top 5, NOT the top 5%. Hence why offers from Parker is in the mold of a true point. He thinks pass first, shoot second. Parker has been evaluated as a prospect that truly makes his teammates better and is aware of their position on the court at all time. Parker does have shooting ability stretching to the 3 point line, a good defender, but has been known to be inconsistent with his shot. As a true point, if Parker can develop a more consistent shot, he appears to be headed down the road as a solid mid-major prospect. Parker, getting the attention he deserves Blue Zertuche TexasHoops.com Recruiting Analyst 6-foot-2 point guard, Drew Parker has a lot of talent and passion on the basketball court, but that is just one side to him as a person. Parker excels in the classroom and is one of the top five students in his graduating class at LaPorte high school. With his hard work ethic in school, college coaches know that Park is a well rounded student athlete and is a person that they can count on, on and off the court. Parker has many offers from programs all over the country and has a few visits set. Parker also has a own perspective on taking official visits. " Parker will of course look for a program and school that has a balance of academics first and basketball tradition. "I want a university that is complete and will provide me an opportunity to compete for a job once I graduate. As for basketball, I want a program that has a chance to make the NCAA tourney." Parker wants to study Business or Marketing. TexasHoops Analysis:DREW is a savvy floor leader with a good understanding of the game. He sees the floor very well, can push the ball up court and kicks it ahead to the open player in stride. He can break down the defense off the dribble, always knows where his teammates are and can knock down shots out to the 3 point line. He is a good shooter but is streaky at times. He is a solid one-on-one defender, really knows how to run a team and plays with a ton of confidence. |
| UTSA RIVAL ADDS SAN ANTONIO AREA BIG (Added 9/20) Stuart Lagerson saw his stock take off this summer and a big part of it was because of his play in the summer AAU circuit. Playing with the likes of Jordan Clarkson, Andre Roberson and others as AAU teammates, did not hurt in Lagerson getting seen & that's exactly what happened. Within a couple of months, Lagerson went from zero offers, to having offers from Western Kentucky, UTA, Over the summer Lagerson developed his low post game substantially. Depending which recruiting service you look at, Lagerson is listed anywhere from 6'9" to 7'0" and at around 200lbs. Lagerson is still raw and is learning the game more and more with each day of practice and competition. Lagerson's height poses a shot blocking presence in the middle of the lane that will change shots. With continuing development, added weight and strength, Lagerson could become a solid contributor for the Mavericks in the SLC. The following story is courtesy of texashoops.com: Lagerson standing tall Blue Zertuche TexasHoops.com Recruiting Analyst A 7-foot post player out of Converse Judson, Stuart Lagerson had been on the rise since late May. Many college programs were taking notice and starting to see the potential that Lagerson has, including a developing game inside the paint. After this past weekend's official visit to a Southland Conference program, Lagerson pulled the plug on all other recruitment. "I committed to UTA," said Lagerson. "I really wanted to stay close to home, and UTA was the best all around school in my mind." Lagerson visited Saturday through Monday and said that he enjoyed the whole experience. "I hung out with the players the whole time and got to see the school and the basketball program from their perspective," he said. "It's a nice college, and it's easy to get around. Everything is right there within walking distance, and I like that." Lagerson says that he will need to get adjusted to head coach Scott Cross, but that should be an easy task. "[Judson] Coach [Mike] Wacker has prepared me for college with the workouts he puts me through and with the intensity he brings as the head coach on a daily basis," Lagerson said. "Coach Cross seems a little more laid back and easy going. He has different ways of getting his point across." Prior to the UTA visit, Lagerson went unofficially up the road from "I liked the location," Lagerson said. "Going on my official visit just confirmed my feeling about going there. I was relaxed there, and thinking of going to visit somewhere else made me uneasy. My mother helped with researching schools, and at UTA, everything simply fit. The only other official visit that was being scheduled was to Lagerson's major is at the top of UTA academic programs from what Lagerson researched. "I am going to study mechanical engineering," he said. That was a big focus of mine when considering schools, and UTA has a great program there." |
| UTSA EYES TOP PROSPECT, PICKS ARKANSAS LR (Added 9/15) As we draw closer and closer to the November early signing period, another UTSA target has surfaced and he is a Texas Top 21 talent. Unfortunately, Reggie Sonnier has decided to end his recruitment. Sonnier had decided to commit to Arkansas-Little Rock of the Sunbelt Conference. Sonnier currently ranks as #21 in the Texas Top 150 for 2010. Sonnier had offers from UTSA, SFA, Prarive View A&M and was being contacted by the likes of UTEP, SMU & Tulsa. Sonnier is an athletic wing and will most likely be a combo of a 2 or 3 at the next level. He is extremely athletic, has a nice shot that will stretch out beyond the three point arc and can jump out of the gym to finish strong at the rack. Sonnier to Blue Zertuche TexasHoops.com Recruiting Analyst It took less than 72 hours for 6-foot-4, Carrollton Creekview wing, Reggie Sonnier to make a commitment to play in the Sun Belt Conference. One official visit is all Sonnier needed to find his college home. "I committed to After his visit, Sonnier knew that it was time to end his recruitment. "The coaching staff is real easy to approach and talk to," he said. "I could tell the special bond that the players had with the coaches. I built a good relationship with Coach [Joe] Golding throughout the recruitment. "The city really supports the basketball program since there is no football. I like that basketball is the No. 1 priority. Finally, my parents will be able to make the home games. I wanted them to be able to see me as often as they could." Arkansas-Little Rock wasn't the only one interested in Sonnier. There was a handful of scholarship offers he passed on. "SFA, UTSA, Prairie View A&M and Campbell offered me or were interested in me coming to their campus," Sonnier said, "but the campus and the surroundings were beautiful, and Sonnier says that he will be utilized the way he wants to play. "I will be a three man [wing]," he said. "I come off screens and shoot or drive to the basket. Coach [Steve] Shields runs my style of game." Sonnier will study communications at Arkansas-Little Rock and said that Shields graduates 100 percent of his players. TexasHoops Analysis: REGGIE is a slashing lefty who makes plays with his reach and athleticism. He anticipates well on the defensive end, gets tips and deflections that lead to points in transition and goes to the boards well to get easy buckets. He has a nice stroke out to the 3-point line, can slice his way to the rim off the dribble and finish with good body control in the paint and will take it to the rim and finish with explosive leaping ability. He has the ability to take over games with his athletic scoring ability and can create and dish to his teammates to keep everyone involved. |
| CLARKSON LEAVING SAN ANTONIO (Added 9/12) Over the last couple of months Utsatailgaters has followed the recruitment of Jordan Clarkson very closely. Clarkson had an offer from UTSA, but decided to end his recruitment this past week when he committed to the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes. Clarkson chose With the early signing period still just about two months away, could How did UTSA fair in the battle of this highly touted Top 6 State prospect? "I don't feel they aggressively pursued Clarkson is the most high profiled national recruit to come out of the SA area surpassing plenty of quality D-1 prospects that have come out of SA in the last decade or so (Carlton Scott, Ian Markholf, Ben Uzoh, Tony Crocker, Trent Plaisted, Justin Harbert, Mendez-Valdez and even going back to Devin Brown). While some of the players mentioned above went on to have solid College careers and are still playing, none commanded the attention that Clarkson has gotten on the national recruiting scene. The Golden Hurricanes will lose star senior guard Ben Uzoh after this year, but it appears they found the perfect replacement and his replacement is also from Clarkson picks Matthew Christian InsideTulsaSports.com On Thursday evening, the "I really felt good about the situation they have," said Clarkson. "And the coaches really extended their selves to me during the summer. I really built a relationship with the coaches. "After watching Ben (Uzoh) develop, I just felt it was the right place for me." Clarkson attended an Elite Camp on the "I loved the official (visit)," he described. "I got to spend time with the players and just have fun and hang out with the guys. I love the gyms, the weight room, just everything." Clarkson chose As a junior last season, Clarkson averaged 20 points, six rebounds and four assists per game, while shooting 55-percent from the field, 34-percent from three-point range and 76-percent from the free throw line. Clarkson led his team to a 32-8 record and the state class 5A semi-finals last year, while earning all-state honors. He's ranked by TexasHoops.com as the No. 6 prospect in the 2010 class in the state of His high school coach, Clifton Ellis, told ITS in April, "The first thing people see when they watch |
| LOCAL FOOTBALL RECRUITING LEANING OUTSIDE OF SA (Added 9/10) Just last week we updated our recruiting board and did confirm that SA Holmes O-lineman Nykiren Wellington does in fact have a UTSA offer from Coach Coker and staff. However, The following story is courtesy of rivals.com: Jeremy Clark Special to BuffStampede.com San Antonio Holmes offensive lineman Nykiren Wellington is regarded as one of the top players in the greater "I have five on paper but I'm up to around eight," he said of his offers. "TCU, Out of the schools who have offered, " "I like TCU because of the relationship Coach Glasgow and I have," he said. "They also have what I want to study there. They also play in the Mountain West." "At first I just wanted to go to the big 12 conference and One school is already on the slate for "I plan to go up to The trip to "In about one to two weeks I'll probably making my decision," Holmes is 1-1 on the season and face off this week against San Antonio Taft. |
| FIRST INTERIOR D-LINEMAN COMMITS TO UTSA (Added 9/5) The UTSA football staff picked up another commit. Ferrington Macon a 6'0"/6'1" 265 pound DT from Corpus Christi Carrol pledged to Coach Coker and staff. Utsatailgaters has not been able to reach RunnerNation, welcome Ferrington Macon! Go Runners! The following story is courtesy of the Express News: Corpus Christi Carroll defensive tackle Ferrington Macon has committed to UTSA, bringing the school's tally of early pledges to 11. "I went to the campus and everything, and I really liked it," said Macon, who has no other offers at this point. "I was thinking about waiting, but I'm pretty sure they'll fill up fast, so it was the best thing for me to go ahead and commit. I'm just excited. I feel like it's going to be a good program for me." Recruits cannot sign binding letters of intent until Feb. 3, 2010. The Roadrunners will begin play in 2011 as a Football Championship Subdivision independent. |
| DONNELL HAWKINS HEADED TO TULSA (Added 9/2) Earlier this summer Utsatailgaters posted a story on Copperas Cove LB Donnell Hawkins and how it seemed very unlikely that he would end up becoming a Runner. Well it's now official, Hawkins has decided to head north and just pledged to Hawkins chose The following story is courtesy of rivals.com: Hawkins commits to Matthew Christian InsideTulsaSports.com Staff Writer After receiving an early scholarship offer from the Hawkins, a 6-foot-1 and 190-pound inside linebacker, confirmed to InsideTulsaSports.com that he called The athletic prospect also held offers from Hawkins is also hoping to graduate in December, so that he can get a jump on college. "When I get to college, I can start on my academics and get ahead," Hawkins told PonyPride.com at the end of June. "I'm looking to get ahead in football also. After watching and hearing about other athletes doing that, they get ahead in their academics. That way after they finish their senior year, they can work on their masters and get that degree. That way they can have something to fall back on after their time playing football." |
| JACKSON NOT A PART OF TEAM (10/17) UTSAtailgaters has learned that Senior G/F Les Jackson will not be returning for the 2009-2010 basketball season. No specific details were provided as to what transpired leading to With the season just under a month away, this is tremendous opportunity for other players to cement themselves with the chance to compete for more minutes. Newcomer Stephen Franklin, a 6'6" SF will be primed to start at the SF spot and 2009 signees Larry Wilkins and Melvin Johnson could battle amongst others for a chance to pick up the slack. Wilkins (Jr.) stands 6'4" and is a stout 235lbs. Johnson (Fr.) is a slender 6'5" SG who has deep range and is one of three new signees that have earned praise from Coach Thompson saying that they all could possibly make immediate contributions for the 2009-2010 season. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ESPN PREVIEW (10/14) So here's the piece done on ESPN.com by Blue Ribbon Preview. Read into it what you will, but Utsatailgaters comes away reading the article further cementing our take that UTSA will challenge for an SLC championship this season. Factors such as our experience with 8 seniors and the dynamic backcourt of Devin & Omar puts us at the top of the SLC. In comparison Blue Ribbon and UTSAtailgaters had a very similar evaluation of the 2009-2010 UTSA mens team. A strong backcourt, questionable front court depth and the importance of Terry Fields. Fields has been called the X-factor by Coach Thompson. UTSAtailgaters has stressed over the entire summer the importance that Fields come back into the form that made him at one time, a Top 25-three star Juco prospect and the jewel of the 2008 UTSA recruiting class. The following story is courtesy of ESPN.com and Blue Ribbon Preview: COACH AND PROGRAM A quick glance at Texas-San Antonio's roster would suggest that this year, the Roadrunners might be the most experienced team in all of Division I. That's a good thing, because the most experienced squads in the Southland Conference are usually the ones that end up in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, seniors Matt Kingsley and Josh Alexander led Stephen F. Austin to the Big Dance. The year before, Texas-Arlington's starting lineup of three seniors and junior Anthony Vereen left This season, the Roadrunners will have more seniors than the high school prom. All but two players are back, and the roster includes eight seniors, four juniors, one sophomore and one freshman. This will make for an interesting reload over the next couple of years, but fourth-year coach Brooks Thompson said the program needs success more than it needs concern for 2011 or 2012. Other than a regular-season tri-championship and tournament bid in 2004, the Roadrunners haven't posed a serious challenge for a regular-season title since 1999. Thompson was hired to change all that. Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners Last Season 19-13 (.594) Conference Record 8-8 (4th) Starters Lost/Returning 2/3 Coach Brooks Thompson ( Record At School 39-52 (3 years) Career Record 94-66 (5 years) RPI Last 5 years 211-257-319-225-183 "It's always a process to rebuild a program, and we feel like we've built it so that this season will be the one where we really take a step forward," Thompson said. "We actually took a big step last year in non-conference and getting to the tournament title game. We'll have a more balance roster in the future, but we felt like we had to win some games in order to build this thing up to where it needs to be." PLAYERS Two double-figure scorers, Joey Shank (9.0 ppg, 1.4 rpg) and Travis Gabbidon (12.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg) are gone from last season's team that went 19-13 overall, 8-8 in conference, and eventually lost to Stephen F. Austin in the SLC title game. Three starters are back, led by 2009 third-team All-SLC pick Devin Gibson (12.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 90 assists, 82 steals). The 6-0, 170-pound junior guard was the 2008 SLC Freshman of the Year and second-team all-conference selection after averaging 14 points, four rebounds and three assists per game that season. If Thompson had his choice, Gibson wouldn't have needed to put up those kinds of numbers his freshman year, but Gabbidon was hurt. Gibson and Shank were pretty much all UTSA had in the backcourt down the stretch in conference play. Gibson, only the third player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in steals as a freshman, didn't put up bloated numbers in his sophomore campaign because he wasn't asked to do as much. His minutes per game went from 33 as a freshman to 28 last year. But he was still considered one of the most feared offensive players in the league. Gibson scores by taking his man off the dribble, and few in the SLC can stop him. If the shot doesn't fall, he gets fouled and takes a solid 70-percent percentage to the line. If there is one knock on his game, it's the inability to consistently drain the long-range jumper, though he managed to shoot an acceptable .333 (22-of-66) from three-point range last year. Still, Thompson said Gibson has been working on his jumper, so Roadrunners fans shouldn't be shocked to see Gibson's percentages rise. "Devin is a special player," Thompson said. "When he becomes a great shooterand he's doing that right nowhe'll be even tougher to guard. He's such a hard worker and does everything he can to improve every single day. He's a student of the game who works constantly to get better, and he's a great team guy. Omar is the same way." Omar Johnson (12.6 ppg, 4.2 apg), a 5-7, 150-pound senior point guard, is a big reason the pressure was taken off Gibson last season. The highly touted transfer from Barton County (Kansas) Community College handed out 130 assists and was 52-for-130 (.400) from the three-point line. He came up big in big games as well. In the Roadrunners' impressive 83-74 first-round SLC Tournament victory over UTSA was within five points, 61-56, of eventual tournament champion SFA before falling 68-57. "It was huge getting to the tournament championship," Thompson said. "Our lack of experience hurt us in that final game, but getting there does a lot for the confidence of the kids." Obviously, experience won't be a problem this time around. In a lineup last season that often included three guards and two forwards, 6-4, 170-pound senior guard Morris Smith IV (9.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg) is back after hitting 59 three-pointers (.362). Smith started 18 games last season. Three more guards earned at least 10 minutes per game a year ago, led by 6-4, 195-pound senior Leslie Jackson (2.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and 6-2, 185-pound senior guard Chris Allen (5.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg). Allen played in 29 games and scored in double-figures six times. In a five-game stretch during the last half of conference play, The only sophomore on the team, 6-3 Sei Paye (2.2 ppg, 0.2 rpg), is a transfer from Louisiana-Monroe and will be in the hunt for more minutes after seeing action in five games. A.J. Gasporra (2.3 ppg, 0.3 ppg), a 6-2 junior, played in 16-of-32 games last season and could bring a spark off the bench. Gasporra hit 73 three-pointers during his sophomore year at Citrus ( Chip Ivany, a 6-0 junior, will be eligible after transferring to UTSA from "Competition between these guys is going to be fierce when we get started," Thompson said. "There are a lot of positions that are going to come down to what they do in the preseason. Every position is open, and everybody is going to have to battle for his spot." Inside, three-fourths of the Gabbidon-Bonney-Steptor-Fields rotation is back. Forward Josh Bonney (5.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg), a 6-6, 210-pound senior, started all 32 games last season and shot 60 percent from the field. Senior forward Demarco Steptor (6.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg), no lightweight at 6-7, 285, put up good numbers considering he played only a little more than 15 minutes per game. Thompson calls 6-7, 185-pound senior forward Terry Fields (4.1 ppg, 2.6 ppg) the X-factor because of his versatility and defense. Also in the mix will be 6-9, 240-pound senior Richie Frohlich (2.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg). The only two newcomers are junior college transfer Stephen Franklin, a 6-6, 205-pounder from Johnson went to prep school for one season at "We feel good at the forwards, and obviously with Omar and Devin in the backcourt, we're strong at the guards," Thompson said. "This is the first time since we've been here that we'll have an experienced team coming back, so we're very excited about that. I really like our athleticism. We like to pressure on defense, and with our length and athleticism, we should be able to do that." BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS BACKCOURT: A BENCH/DEPTH: B+ FRONTCOURT: C INTANGIBLES: A UTSA might be the toughest team to predict this season. There are three reasons the Roadrunners could challenge for a conference championship: the backcourt of Gibson and Johnson can score and defend with any duo in the league, 12 seniors and juniors make this roster easily the most experienced in the league, and last year's 19 victories and run at the conference tournament championship game show the Roadrunners are taking steps forward under Thompson. On the other hand, the Roadrunners lost two stalwarts who combined to average more than 20 points per game, and the team still finished at just 8-8 in conference play a year ago. If Bonney and Smith can pick up some of the scoring slack, and Steptor continues to improve inside, the Roadrunners will match up physically with anybody in the conference. If not, they will be asking their guards to do too much. There is also a matter of keeping eight seniors happy. There are three players battling for time at every position and several seniors in that mix, so expect Thompson to settle on a rotation early and work on getting it to gel by the time conference play starts. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| QUICK HITS (10/7) With the November early signing period approaching fast, more and more recruits are coming out of the wood work and making it known who exactly is recruiting them. Over the past month UTSAtailgaters has learned of the first commit for the 2010 class and can now account for up to seven players that have a current offer or have had an offer and have chosen to commit elsewhere. We'll quickly recap how the b-ball recruiting frenzy now looks after this past month. It's any body's guess as to how many scholarships Coach Thompson and staff have actually extended. FORWARDS/CENTER T.J. Williams; PF 6'7" 215lbs (Undecided) Williams just visited UTSA on 9/25. He came away liking everything he saw and is seriously considering UTSA as his choice. A thick low post player who is known for his energy, physical play and smarts around the hoop. Will bang with you and has a knack for getting to the boards. Confirmed that his top three potentially are UTSA, SE. LA and La.-Monroe. Jordan Didier; PF 6'9" 185lbs (Will be attending Prep School, Class of 2011) St Mary's HS, AZ Didier recently told Ariozonapreps.com that he had decided to use a prep year after his senior season to bulk up and put some weight on his frame. Didier has already packed on an additional 10 pounds. Didier is known as having a finesse game, can be a game changer with his rebounding and shot blocking abilities. GUARDS/WINGS Jordan Sims; SG/SF 6'5" 185lbs (UTSA) 1st known commit to UTSA's 2010 class. Has been labeled a "MAJOR" sleeper on the west coast and at one time was listed as a heavy Drew Parker; PG 6'2" n/a (Undecided) Laporte (HS), TX Is one of the best senior PG's in the state of EJ Jefferson; SG 6'3" 180lbs (Undecided) Has reported to be possibly transferring schools EJ is known for being able to take and make the big shot. Jordan Clarkson; SG 6'3" 170lbs ( Wagner HS, Converse, TX Was offered scholarship, but committed to Reggie Sonnier; SG/SF 6'4" 177lbs (AR-Little Rock) Creekview HS, Also a Top 28 Texas Prospect who committed to Arkansas-Little Rock of the Sun Belt. Sonnier is known for being a slasher, having a nice stroke and can finish above the rim with above average leaping ability. SIDENOTE: Former 2009 UTSA commit, Kendric Robinson has left the |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PROJECTED DEPTH CHART (9/22) Not more than two weeks ago UTSA announced their new additions to the men's b-ball team and just yesterday the 2009-2010 schedule was finally unveiled. The subtractions are scoring leader and all-conference wing Travis Gabiddon and sharp shooting guard Joey Shank. Eight seniors return from a team that made the SLC Championship game and a recent story in the SA Express News has Brooks Thompson and the Runners aiming dead on for a championship and nothing else. Expectations are running high for RunnerNation. Utsatailgaters takes a look and gives you our own assessment of how the depth chart might look when the Runners take the court in Starters PF- Joshy Bonney 6'6" 195lbs Sr F- Stephen Franklin 6'6" 205lbs Jr G- Morris Smith 6'4" 170lbs Sr G- Devin Gibson 6'0" 170lbs Jr G- Omar Johnson 5'7" 150lbs Sr Arguably the quickest and most talented back court in the SLC. Devin Gibson looks to take a step forward as one of the best players in the SLC in his junior campaign and regain the form that earned him Freshman of the year in 2007-2008. Battling a back injury last year, Gibson missed five games, but still finished second on the team in scoring with 12.3 pts. Gibson & Johnson combined for a total of 140 steals last season. Johnson finished tied for 1st in the team lead for scoring 12.6 pts. Mo Smith looks to step in and fill the void left by graduating senior Joey Shank. Mo started 18 games last year and averaged a solid 9.0 pts. He finished 2nd on the club to Joey Shank with 59 makes from behind the arc. Stephen Franklin was a nationally ranked Juco prospect and looks to help offset the loss of All-conference senior Travis Gabbidon. Josh Bonney returns averaging 6 pts & nearly 5 boards a game. Bonney led the team with 70 offensive boards last season. Bench PF- Demarco Stepter 6'7" 285lbs Sr G- Chris Allen 6'2" 185lbs Sr G/F- Leslie F- Terry Fields 6'7" 185lbs Sr C- Richie Frolich 6'9" 240lbs Sr G- Chip Ivany 6'0" 155lbs Jr G- Sei Paye 6'3" 180lbs So G- Melvin Johnson 6'5" 165lbs Fr F- Larry Wilkins 6'4" 235lbs Jr The 2009-2010 Roadrunner team is as deep as last years and may even establish more depth if injuries and academics don't become hurdles. Demarco Stepter is the main low post reserve and he contributed rather nicely in his Junior season with 6 pts & 6 reb's off the bench. Richie Frolich showed potential last year as RunnerNation can't forget his breakout performance against UTA at the convo and how he smothered Anthony Vereen. It will be key to see if Richie can be on the floor more than the seven minutes he averaged last season. The rest of the two deep is made up with Chris Allen who has been very key to the Runners success as his versatility will allow him to run the point and play the off guard as needed. Les Jackson is a physical, get after it, in your face defender who will bust it all over the court and get dirty. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-2010 Men's Basketball Schedule Courtesy of UTSA Athletics
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SLC Championship the Goal (9/16)
As his fourth season looms, UTSA men's basketball coach Brooks Thompson doesn't mince words. Anything less than the Southland Conference title, he says, will be a letdown. “I've got really high expectations for them,” said Thompson, whose team opens practice on Oct. 16. “A lot of things have to go into it with chemistry and toughness. But you look at the year we had, and we've got eight guys back. “With another year of experience, I'll be really disappointed if we don't contend for a championship. That's our goal.” The Roadrunners are coming off their best finish under Thompson, a 19-13 campaign in which they lost to Stephen F. Austin in the SLC title game. They lost three players from that team, including third-team All-SLC forward Travis Gabbidon and shooting specialist Joey Shank. The bulk of the roster returns, however, including starters Josh Bonney (forward, 60.3-percent shooter), Devin Gibson (guard, third-team All-SLC) and Omar Johnson (guard, 12.6 points, 4.2 assists per game). “We've got a huge veteran core with eight seniors,” Thompson said. “We're excited about the experience coming back, finally. We haven't had that in the past.” In addition to guard Chip Ivany, who regains his eligibility after redshirting last season, the Roadrunners bring in three newcomers: freshman guard Melvin Johnson III and junior college transfers Stephen Franklin and Larry Wilkins. Johnson averaged 23 points per game last season at “All three of them have a chance to make an immediate impact,” Thompson said. One player who didn't join UTSA was former Southwest standout Kendric Robinson. A three-time Express-News Super Team selection who came within 15 points of tying the city scoring record, Robinson had initially committed to UTSA but never signed his letter of intent. He was unavailable for comment. UTSA basketball key dates Oct. 16: First official day of practice for men's and women's teams. Also, Roadrunner Ruckus, a "Midnight Madness" style event for the fans, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1: Women's basketball exhibition opener vs. Dallas Diesel, 2 p.m. Nov. 7: Women's basketball exhibition vs. St. Edward's, 5 p.m.; men's basketball exhibition opener, opponent TBA, 7 p.m. MySpace Countdowns |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rivals SLC Basketball Breakdown (9/15) We're now heading into week three of College football, drawing us closer and closer to the start of fall practice for b-ball. Most schools have already released their new signees and schedules. UTSA has welcomed three new additions to the roster and should be releasing the men's b-ball schedule any day. Rivals.com has went ahead and started evaluating all 347 D1 basketball programs. Rivals has picked UTSA to finish third in the West division of the SLC, just in front of UTA at 228 & behind A&M-CC at 161. The assessment of UTSA getting some low post productivity will be very key to the Runner's success this coming season. With low post depth being a problem, UTSA can ill afford any type of setback or injury from their three low post big men. 6'9" Center Richie Frolich has the size and low post moves to average near a double-double. Josh Bonney is the most athletic of the big men and will rebound everything in site and finish strong at the tin. Demarco is a bull and also has the nack for being a very productive rebounder and picking up garbage points on loose balls or put backs. Throw in the arrival of 6'5" bally-hooed Juco recruit Stephen Franklin at the wing and UTSA can be much more than a contender. Rivals does call Palmer of A&M-CC the best player in the SLC, but the pre-season favorite of Rivals to win the west and the whole conference is Sam Houston State ranked 116. SHSU was ranked ahead of power house schools such as Only time will tell as Coach Thompson and UTSA were able to finally break a losing streak by up ending the Kats in the 1st round of the SLC tourney last season. RunnerNation hopes that our own streak of winning will continue against the bearkats. The following story is courtesy of rivals.com 223. UT 116. 161. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 216. Stephen F. Austin 228. UT Arlington |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-Conference Scheduling & Roster Info (8/27) As the first day of fall classes were underway, UTSA decided to release and make official the new additions to the men's b-ball team. There was one surprise added to the previously confirmed signings of Stephen Franklin & Melvin Johnson, it was the addition of former SA Madison star, Larry Wilkins. Franklin & Johnson had been confirmed by Utsatailgaters over the early part of the summer, but the addition of Wilkins (6'4" SG/SF) was a nice surprise. Wilkins was recruited by Thompson and staff when coming out of HS, but chose to go the Juco route. With the addition of 3 new players, the roster now currently stands at 14. Goutsa.com released the updated roster today as well and AJ Gaspora is not listed on the roster. NCAA only allows a max of 13 scholarships on a D-1 team, UTSA was reduced to 12 for the 2009-2010 season because of a below average APR. Roster Courtesty of goUTSA.com
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||