Neftali Alvarez 6'1 PG 2018 to Mercer

[ShockingButTrue]

This kid is going to be good. I don't know if we will have room for him but he is a player.

I think so too.

[BOBB]

Ok, call me a conspiracy theorist, but hear me out.

HCGM has been around the block. He knows that Penny is angling for Tubby's job. Maybe Penny even tells him that. ALo signs with HCGM with the gentlemen's understanding that if Penny gets the Memphis gig he will let ALo go. (I mean HCGM never batted an eyelash before he let ALo go. HCGM is many things, but usually not magnanimous in defeat.) Meanwhile he's telling Alvarez, don't sign with anybody. There's a pretty decent chance that we will have an opportunity for you in the spring. Now things are complicated - positively - by Akinjo being available. But at the end of the day we are left with good options at the point.

The Art of Shaving

[BOBB]

I don't think HCGM was involved in a conspiracy to get Tubby canned. I think he was willing to agree to give Lomax up in the event that Penny got the job. He may have thought it unlikely.

[Boss1786]

I am curious what you think the incentives would be for HCGM to help Penny de-throne Tubby, re-generate interest in Memphis basketball in the Memphis area, fill the seats of the Arena with passionate fans again, as well as build a serious recruiting obstacle in the Memphis area?

[BOBB]

He was willing to bet that Tubby would hold on or that Penny wouldn't be coach. Either way ALo wasn't going to Memphis, why not potentially benefit? If the bet doesn't pay, he still has options. I am surprised more people don't see this as a possibility. I am not naming HCGM a co-conspirator in Tubby's exit. Just a man playing chess and shaving.

[Dan]

Ok, call me a conspiracy theorist, but hear me out.

HCGM has been around the block. He knows that Penny is angling for Tubby's job. Maybe Penny even tells him that. ALo signs with HCGM with the gentlemen's understanding that if Penny gets the Memphis gig he will let ALo go. (I mean HCGM never batted an eyelash before he let ALo go. HCGM is many things, but usually not magnanimous in defeat.) Meanwhile he's telling Alvarez, don't sign with anybody. There's a pretty decent chance that we will have an opportunity for you in the spring. Now things are complicated - positively - by Akinjo being available. But at the end of the day we are left with good options at the point.

The Art of Shaving

yeah, 3G isn't going to sign anyone as a placeholder, not his style. I bet he was fuming inside when this all went down.

[BOBB]

How many times has Gregg internalized his feelings?

[choida]

More and more this kid might be realistically our guy... He visited... Has an offer... Has its pinned on his Twitter... Which is irrelevant to a degree...

https://247sports.com/Recruitment/Neftali-Alvarez-98004/RecruitInterests

[Shockm]

He played at a school with less than 290? That would be a 2A or 3A in Kansas. A good player but his stats mean less because of that. The OU point guard played in the largest class in Oklahoma against the best they had. That doesn’t mean that Alvarez can’t play and won’t be good but most likely he has work to do. Feliz and Akinjo are our top targets.

[pinstripers]

I dunno who our top target is, but we are halfway home already with this kid

[Wuzee]

He played at a school with less than 290? That would be a 2A or 3A in Kansas. A good player but his stats mean less because of that. The OU point guard played in the largest class in Oklahoma against the best they had. That doesn’t mean that Alvarez can’t play and won’t be good but most likely he has work to do. Feliz and Akinjo are our top targets.

2A/3A like that bum Ron Baker? Can we get your phone number to pass along to the recruiters at Virginia and VCU and the other major basketball schools that offered him? They clearly don’t understand that they’re wasting a scholly on a practice player.

[Stickboy46]

His offer list is pretty impressive, Virginia, Purdue, VCU, Dayton ..

[1972Shocker]

Seems like @Shokm 's point wasn't so much that Neftali isn't a good player but that you need to be a little careful with stats put up in the lower classes which from what I have seen of lower classes in Kansas seems reasonable. Whether or not he most likely has work to do I don't know for sure but the great majority of freshman do. But this is why Coach's watch these players in person instead of just recruiting from a stat sheet. I don't think 3G would have made an offer in the 1st place if he didn't think Neftali could contribute at Wichita State (nor any of the other tieams who have offered him).

However, that doesn't mean he is at the top of 3G's wish list either at this point but he could get there through attrition.

[forevershockerfan]

Thinking This young man wants to be a Shocker. How good is he really? When he was here before on a visit, he prolly scrimmaged with our players. Coach Marshall is excellent at bringing in top notch guards which is a specialty of his. How much so? Our foes seem to stay vigilant to his every recruiting moves, knowing how many gems that fly under the radar some that he signs here. Thus, 3G has a pecking order and will continue to shave, bring home the bacon, and we will be happy campers because bacon is always good.

[Boss1786]

Personally I would rather have a PG that can handle the ball, run the offense, make good decisions, and play lockdown defense. The ability to score is not a prerequisite for PG just a bonus. If he can do that, I say sign him.

[ShockingButTrue]

We had a good one that could do that a couple of years ago.

I don't think he average over 12ppg as a soph but was the MVC player of the year. So yeah, I agree totally.

[WheatShock]

Personally I would rather have a PG that can handle the ball, run the offense, make good decisions, and play lockdown defense. The ability to score is not a prerequisite for PG just a bonus. If he can do that, I say sign him.

I disagree with you. I think a PG needs to be able to score to be effective on the offensive end. He doesn't have to be a great scorer though, just good enough to keep the defense honest.

[wufan]

He played at a school with less than 290? That would be a 2A or 3A in Kansas. A good player but his stats mean less because of that. The OU point guard played in the largest class in Oklahoma against the best they had. That doesn’t mean that Alvarez can’t play and won’t be good but most likely he has work to do. Feliz and Akinjo are our top targets.

In some populous states like Florida, the small private schools are extremely competitive. That may or may not be the case for Neftali.

[Shockm]

I was just speculating on why our coaches haven’t pulled the trigger yet. He appears to be a little slightly built guy who isn’t extremely fast or quick who has very nice basketball skills. If he’s the best player and they sign him, then great. You guys need to stop talking me into why he’s so great and instead contact GM.

[Stickboy46]

Shockm ... What do you mean by "why our coaches haven't pulled the trigger yet" .... He has an offer from us. That's as far as our "trigger" goes. He also holds offers from Virigina, Purdue, Dayton, etc .... We are waiting on him ...not the other way around.

[ShockingButTrue]

He's competed in AAU in the summertime, so it's not like he hasn't been evaluated against top flight HS competition.

[Shockm]

As I said above, you need to stop the full court press on Shockernetters and start it on GM. If he’s sold and gets his commitment, I’m behind it. But they haven’t yet and he’s visited.

[wufan]

If only shockm would get on board, I’m sure we could sign this guy!

[WSUwatcher]

But not until April, wufan. Until then it's just talk.

[choida]

His Twitter following and pinned tweet and 24/7 Crystal ball predictions sure lean certain ways

[Shockm]

247 also shows a crystal ball for Akinjo to Georgetown. They already signed McClung as a point guard last November. Why they would sign two freshmen point guards may be a reflection on Head Coach Patrick Ewing’s skills as a coach. Supposedly, Akinjo was sold on UCONN because of Ollie’s experience as a point guard. That doesn’t mesh with Georgetown. It will be interesting to see what visits he takes.

[Stickboy46]

Crystal balls are misleading. There are a lot of "predictors" that just throw their vote to the first team that a recruit posts about. In this case the first school to talk to Akinjo was Georgetown and he posted about an in home visit with Ewing.

We have crystal balls from Alvarez because he posted pictures about his visit here in the fall (and that's when the crystal balls came)

[Dan]

Ewing probably telling kids he’s gonna bring Georgetown back to the glory days and Akinjo will play the part of Allen Iverson. Everyone has a dream to sell.

[choida]

Bump