Looking at Negedus Options
Emmanuel Negedu will be a busy man in the next few weeks. He is scheduled to visit all four of the schools still on his list…and he has said he will not be persuaded into making a commitment until he has completed his visits. Here is a closer look at what these four schools have to offer the talented power forward.
The Case for Indiana
A lot has changed at Indiana since Negedu went through this process the first time. With NCAA sanctions looming, Kelvin Sampson, his entire staff, and most of their roster is out. Former Marquette Head Coach Tom Creen is in and he has been forced to hit the ground running in recruiting just to ensure the Hoosiers have enough players to put on the floor next year.
Three of the players who will arrive in Bloomington as freshmen next year were teammates of Negedu’s on the Indiana Elite AAU team. One of those, Kory Barnett, is so close with Negedu that he even traveled to Brewster to see him graduate last weekend.
If Creen elects to utilize the same style of play he did at Marquette, then an interior player of Negedu’s strength would be a major asset. Last season, Marquette utilized a four out one in motion offense allowing Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews, and Lazar Hayward lots of drive and kick opportunities. What the Golden Eagles were missing was that unique interior presence that could single handedly patrol the paint. With his exceptional upper body strength and explosiveness, Negedu could fill that role for the next four years at Indiana while Creen and his staff assemble their perimeter fire power.
The Case for Tennessee
When Negedu made his original commitment to Arizona, most people considered Tennessee to be the runner up. So when he opened up his recruiting again last month, it was obvious that Bruce Pearl n’company would be one of the early favorites.
Around the same time, Pearl dismissed Ramar Smith and Duke Crews from his team. Crews, who was a freshmen all SEC selection during the 2006-07 season, was a leading candidate to earn a starting position along the frontline next season. His departure not only opened up a scholarship, but also left a void in the lineup that Negedu could have a chance to fill.
As for the Volunteers style of play, it may be tailor made for Negedu. While Pearl’s system is often thought to be guard-friendly because of the amount of three-point shots that the team takes in the open floor, Negedu also does some of his best work in transition. His ability to run the floor and finish the break is among the best of any big man in the class of 2008.
The Case for Memphis
Josh Pastner has already received a commitment from Negedu…he was just at Arizona when it happened. Now that he has moved on to Memphis to work under John Calipari, the star recruiter will attempt to do it again.
While Pastner’s presence at Memphis may be the Tigers’ biggest selling point, it clearly isn’t the only one: Calipari’s squad is fresh off their trip to the NCAA finals where they were about a minute from becoming the national champions; last year’s starting center, Joey Dorsey, is on his way to the NBA; and Negedu may be just the man to step into his position since there are countless similarities between the two players.
Both are high energy players with incredibly powerful physiques and explosive athleticism. With four players on the perimeter in Memphis’ dribble motion offense, Dorsey was one of the best rebounders and finishers in the country this year. At the prep school level, Negedu was also one of the best rebounders and finishers in the country. He is ideally suited to pick up right where Dorsey left off.
The Case for Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech is another school that is recruiting Negedu for the second time. And despite losing out to Arizona and presumably not even getting as far in the process as Tennessee, Paul Hewitt made enough of an impression so that he will receive a visit this month.
While Negedu is said to have liked the area when he was there for Adidas Nation, the perception is that Georgia Tech just may lack the hook that the other three schools on the list have. Indiana has Negedu’s former teammates, Tennessee just missed landing him the first time around, and Memphis has Pastner.
Consequently, it will be on Hewitt and his staff to sell their program, the opportunity for immediate playing time, and the potential to be one of the building blocks to build Georgia Tech back to the level it was five years ago when they advanced to the Final Four and ultimately the national championship game.
Emmanuel Negedu