The Truth about Devin Ebanks Recruitment
Last Wednesday, a day after St. Thomas More’s season had officially ended with a quarter-final loss to Hargrave Military Academy in the first round of the National Prep Championship, Adam Zagoria, a staff writer for the Herald News in West Paterson, NJ, reported that Devin Ebanks was now considering Indiana, Memphis, Texas, and Rutgers with the possibility of one other school being in the mix. While Zagoria, who is one of the best in the business and also a voter on the national prep poll, accurately pointed out that Ebanks wasn’t officially de-committing from Indiana that didn’t stop multiple media outlets from around the country from printing that very falsehood.
So here is where everything REALLY stands as of Tuesday morning. Indiana Interim Head Coach Dan Dakich and Assistant Coach Ray McCallum both flew into Connecticut yesterday to meet with Ebanks, his mother, and STM Head Coach Jere Quinn. It was the second time in as many weeks that Dakich saw Ebanks in person as he was also present at the NESCAC quarter-finals. Dakich and and McCallum are the only remaining members of the coaching staff at the time when Ebanks committed last June. Former Head Coach Kelvin Sampson and former Assistant Coach Rob Senderoff, who was the primary recruiter for Ebanks, have both been forced to resign because of NCAA violations regarding impermissible phone contact.
The plan is now for Ebanks to travel to Indianapolis this weekend to see the Big Ten Tournament and meet with officials from the Hoosiers’ athletic department. Presumably one of the first topics to be discussed will be the future of the program. With several prominent coaches around the country lining up for a shot at the Indiana job as well as the potential for additional NCAA sanctions, there is an air of uncertainty that clouds Ebanks’ decision. Dakich is said to even have conceded so much yesterday, apparently admitting that he does not know if he will be the Head Coach next year or not. And while Ebanks does not plan on officially de-committing this weekend, he does plan on asking permission to visit three-four other schools which are bound to include Memphis, Texas, and Rutgers. So here is a break-down of the final four schools:
Indiana
It is clear that Ebanks still has an affinity for Indiana. He has had several opportunities to simply de-commit and open up his recruitment again. First, when Senderoff resigned, then when Sampson resigned, and most recently when his season at STM officially ended. But Ebanks hasn’t done that. It appears that Indiana’s best chance of keeping Ebanks would be to give Dakick the head coaching job. Ebanks may also be Dakich’s best chance of saving the job as well as well since even a run deep into the post-season is unlikely to get it done if he cannot retain the previously committed recruiting class (Terrell Holloway is also beginning to explore other options).
Memphis
If Ebanks does not end up at Indiana, Memphis may be the leader. With the graduation of Joey Dorsey and Andre Allen, along with the imminent departure of Derrick Rose to the NBA (with the potential for Chris Douglas-Roberts to do the same), Memphis will certainly have plenty of minutes available next year. John Calipari and his staff have apparently targeted Ebanks and Tyreke Evans as a duo capable of keeping them at the top of the national rankings. Consequently, it was no surprise to see Memphis assistant coaches Derek Kellog and Chuck Martin at the quarter-finals of the National Prep Championship last week where Ebanks and Evans were both in action, along with current Memphis signee Matt Simpkins from the Patterson School. But one has to wonder if Memphis’ dribble motion offense is the right system for Ebanks. The offense is based on having interchangeable parts along the perimeter all of whom are capable of breaking their man down off the dribble. While Ebanks is undoubtedly one of the most talented players in the country, his dribble drive game isn’t the most potent part of his arsenal. Instead he is a mismatch problem who can take defenders down to the block or score from the perimeter with a deadly mid-range game and a much improved three-point stroke. Memphis’ offense would have to add some wrinkles to give Ebanks opportunities to do those things and it remains to be seen if they will do that.
Texas
While Texas may not be the favorite to land Ebanks, they certainly have a lot to offer. Rick Barnes’ program has a great deal of experience showcasing long and athletic wings, most notably Kevin Durant. While Ebanks may not be able to match Durant’s production during his single season at Texas, you have to believe he would have success given their similar skill sets. While Texas’ offensive system isn’t based on dribble penetration quite as much as Memphis’, it certainly affords its players plenty of freedom on the offensive end. Ebanks would also be a natural fit on Texas’ current roster. Not only would he have an opportunity to play with one of the best point guards in the country if D.J. Augustin opts to put off the NBA Draft for another year, but he would also have an opportunity to step right in as Texas currently lacks a pure small forward. Instead Rick Barnes and his staff have been utilizing a three-guard line-up with the 6’0” Augustin, 5’11” A.J. Abrams, and 6’2” Justin Mason to start the game. With plenty of big men inside, Texas has also spent a good deal of time with 6’7” Damion James at the 3, although he is much more of a natural face-up four man.
Rutgers
The home town favorites for sure. Perhaps no one would be more excited to have another shot at Ebanks than Fred Hill and his staff. And if Ebanks ultimately decided Rutgers is the place for him he would have an opportunity to turn around New Jersey’s state university all while playing within a short car ride from his Long Island City home. While the challenges at Rutgers may exceed any of his other options so do the potential rewards. Ebanks would become arguably the most talented player on the Scarlet Knights roster almost immediately upon arriving on campus, and if he could lead them to a turn-around of their last place finish in the Big East this year he would reach legendary status in the New York/New Jersey area. He would also be joining an incoming recruiting class featuring a talented trio of local players including Mike Rosario, Patrick Jackson, and former AAU teammate Christian Morris. Adam Zagoria also pointed out a couple of other factors that could work in Rutgers favor including Assistant Coach Craig Carter’s close relationship with the family as well as the fact that Ebank’s AAU Coach’s, Lawrence McGugins, affinity for the program.
So with a visit scheduled to Indiana this weekend and the possibility for other visits to follow shortly, Devin Ebanks recruitment is an ongoing story. While he is far from back on the board, he isn’t exactly off it either.
Devin Ebanks