The Slipper Still Fits

Zags no longer in the mix for Lavine?

2012-05-22T18:11:25Z

Over the past couple weeks, we have been staying on top of a number of new developments in Gonzaga's recruiting for the next couple years. While that generated a lot of excitement, one major question that lingered was what it all meant about the Zags' relationship with Seattle guard Zach Lavine. As little as a few months ago, we remained optimistic that Lavine was a guy the Zags could work on but it appears that the talented 2013 guard is looking to take his game elsewhere. From National Recruiting Spotlight:

Class of 2013 point guard Zach LaVine has had schools that stuck out to him in the past but he didn't have a list. Now, he not only has a list, but he also knows where each program ranks among his top five.

"UCLA, Louisville, Washington, Arizona and Memphis," LaVine said. "That's the order I like them in."

It's no surprise that the Bruins top his list since he has told NRS in the past that he has family ties to them. "I kind of have an influence towards UCLA because my dad is from California and he always represents them with UCLA gear; so does my uncle," LaVine said at the time.

As the article points out, the fact that Lavine favors UCLA is absolutely no surprise. He has been a strong UCLA lean since we first heard his name. However, back in September, our recruiting correspondent checked in with Lavine and it seemed like the Zags were picked up some traction but now it just seems like the pull to Westwood is far too strong.

Although this is a bummer, it is hardly a shock and I have to imagine that the staff has anticipated this. Guys like Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Namon Wright, etc all appear to be talented prospects that will continue to get strong looks from the staff. We'll keep you posted on any future development.

Keeping An Eye On Local Talent: Zags Talking With D.J Fenner

2012-05-21T15:00:12Z

Over the past few years, Gonzaga has extended its recruiting footprint into the Seattle area. Guys like Steven Gray and Gary Bell Jr. have come from the West Side of Washington and have immediately stepped in and made huge contributions to the program. Given this success, it wasn't surprising to hear that the Gonzaga coaching staff had started to express interest in D.j. Fenner, a talented 2013 wing from Seattle Prep.

Fenner is coming off an impressive junior season at Seattle Prep, as he averaged 18.2 ppg for a team that finished second in the 3A state tournament. Fenner has continued his impressive play this Summer with Seattle Rotary, which has led to a boom in his recruitment. In order to get the latest on his evolving game and recruitment, we caught up with D.J for a detailed update.

TSSF: You emerged as one of the scorers in Seattle during your junior season. How did your game improve this past season and what were the keys to your success?

D.J. Fenner: The first half of the season for me was terrible. I was just playing bad, but then I started buying into Coach Mike Kelly's system which definitely improved my game. Earlier in the season I was more worried about how many shots I'm going to take rather than how hard I was gonna set a screen or how quickly I was going to get into help on defense. Once i started getting my shots through the flow and rhythm of the offense I started playing way better.

Interview continue after the jump

TSSF: How has your AAU season been going with Seattle Rotary? How have you played and what is your schedule like the rest of the Summer with Rotary? Do you have any tournaments or team camps planned with Seattle Prep this Summer?

D.J: Rotary this Spring has been great. I love my teammates and coaches like family. It's about more than just basketball when we travel together, its like a brotherhood. It's been great on the court as well. Our relationships off the court are what make us such a strong team. Nobody ball hogs or pouts, we play defense, and we play together. I have been playing great because of my teammates. I believe I'm the leading scorer and that's only because of my teammates. But we go to Myrtle Beach, SC, and Vegas for the fab 48 in July.

We are in a few local tournaments this June including Garfield's Bulldog Bash, and Franklin's Quaker Slam. We also have a team camp at Gonzaga University the weekend of June 17th

TSSF: What areas of your game are you really looking to improve heading into your senior season and beyond?

D.J: My main focus this summer going into my Senior season is to improve my ball handling, jumping ability, and three point shot. I am going to need to be able to run the 1 and 2 this year. My first time running the point guard for an organized team, and I know I am going to need to improve my jumping ability to get ready for college. Not only am i preparing for my senior season at Prep, but also my Freshman year at (blank) lol.

TSSF: What schools have you been hearing from the most since the AAU season began? Which schools have offered at this point?

D.J.: Many new schools began reaching out to me since AAU started, mainly from the Real Deal in the Rock at Arkansas, where I had a great showing. All the new schools are Gonzaga, USC, Air Force, Oregon, Pepperdine, Portland State, WSU, UC Irvine, and a few other smaller schools. The only school that has "officially" offered is Seattle University.

TSSF: When did you start hearing from Gonzaga? Which coach has been most involved in recruiting you?

D.J.: I started hearing from Gonzaga the day after Real Deal at the Rock. Coach Ray Giacoletti called me and we had a great conversation. That's when I really started liking the school. I had seen them at a couple of the games in Arkansas and I was hoping they were recruiting me because I actually like Gonzaga.

TSSF.: Have you taken unofficial visits to any schools yet? Do you have any plans to head over to Spokane for a visit?

D.J.: My only unofficials have been Virgina, Vilanova, Georgetown, and SU. I plan on taking an unofficial to Gonzaga the weekend of June 17th since we'll be there for a team camp

Here is some recent footage from 2015 guard Kendall Small. He wears No. 11. The one thing you will...

2012-05-20T19:30:12Z

Here is some recent footage from 2015 guard Kendall Small. He wears No. 11. The one thing you will notice is the excellent court vision for a guy his age

Zags Set To Host Another European Talent

2012-05-18T21:27:51Z

It appears that Mark Few and Tommy Lloyd's trip to Europe may prove to be invalubale for the future of the Gonzaga program, as reports out of France indicate that the raw but extremely athletic Mam Jaiteh will be visiting Spokane in the coming days.

While Jaiteh doesn't address the need that Gonzaga has at SF, he would be part of an incredibly talented and deep Gonzaga frontcourt in the future. According to a DrafExpress evaluation, Jaiteh is raw but has the build of an NBA player already:

Offensively, Jaiteh is extremely limited, as he possesses very little footwork, average touch around the basket and is unable to pass out of double teams. Regardless of where he catches the ball on the floor, he's always looking to make a move, which renders him fairly turnover prone, particularly once opponents caught onto this fact.

Jaiteh is nevertheless a massive presence inside the paint, allowing him to post some solid numbers at this tournament by crashing the offensive glass and simply presenting himself at the rim for easy finishes. Interestingly enough, he knocked down his free throws at a very nice clip (13/17) and even converted one decent-looking mid-range jumper.

Defensively, Jaiteh can be effective due to his sheer length and bulk, and certainly got the job done on the glass, grabbing almost six rebounds in just 19 minutes per game. He lacks significant experience and fundamentals on this end as you can probably imagine, though, particularly in team defensive settings where he doesn't show a great feel for rotating and wasn't much of a shot-blocking threat despite his physical tools.

The most natural comparison for Jaiteh is Abdul Kuso, who was a tremendous defensive player and rebounder with raw offensive tools. I have long maintained that Kuso could have been a huge impact guy if he had four or five years in a Gonzaga uniform. Jaiteh would be a candidate to redshirt and would have a couple of years before being thrown into the rotation. However, he brings an immediate shot-blocking and defensive impact that is missing in the Gonzaga frontcourt.

Point Guard Tradition Makes Gonzaga Attractive For 2015 Guard

2012-05-17T18:55:34Z

One of the keys to Gonzaga's success over the past decade has been great guard play. Whether it was Dan Dickau, or Jeremy Pargo or even last season with Kevin Pangos, the most successful Gonzaga teams have been anchored by versatility in the backcourt.

It shouldn't be a surprise that with the success, GU has become an option for many of the top young guards in the country. While fans are currently focused on the 2013 recruiting class, the Gonzaga staff is already looking for a point guard of the future, with one of the primary options being 2015 PG Kendall Small.

Small plays his high school basketball at Ocean View high school and plays for the Dreamvision AAU club, which is one of the elite clubs in the country. It just so happens that Small has the unique opportunity to play for his father, Don Small, who coaches the Dreamvision U-15 team that Kendall is playing for.

According to Don, Kendall is a throwback point guard that looks to setup his teammates and get others involved in the game.

"He is a pass-first point guard," emphasized Kendall's dad. "I was a point guard myself and played that way. He can really create for others and his court vision is out of this world. He is a complete player though. He can shoot the ball pretty well and he gets to the rim at will. He is also a tenacious defender."

for more on Kendall continue reading after the jump....

Like any guard his age, Kendall is working to develop his body, as well as other specific parts of his game that many players these days don't focus on.

"Like every kid these days, he needs to improve his mid-range game and pull-up jumpers in the lane," Don explained. "He is working on driving and being able to change speed with his dribble and he is also working with a trainer to get quicker and stronger."

Despite growing up in Southern California, Kendall has long been a fan of the Gonzaga program.

"We watch the Zags all the time and I am big fan," Don revealed. "Kendall really likes the guards that have come out of Coach Few's system. He develops guards very well."

Given the interest in Gonzaga and his successful play with Dreamvision in April, it should come as no surprise that the GU coaching staff has already started to express interest in Kendall.

"They (Gonzaga) started to show interest after seeing us in Vegas. Donny Daniels watched us play and he expressed interest in Kendall through our director. They said they will be watching him in July during the live evaluation period, and after that, they will be recruiting him."

Although an offer might not lead to an immediate commitment, Gonzaga will be tough to turn down for Kendall should he receive an offer.

"I've been coaching club for 20 years," explained Kendall's dad. "We aren't going to commit really early, because we are going to take a close look at all options . But we would very much consider it (committing) should he get an offer."

Since his breakout performance in Las Vegas in April, Small has started to receive interest from schools like Portland, UCLA, USC, Oklahoma, Missouri, UW, NAU, Pepperdine, UTEP, Detroit and Washington St. While he has plenty of time to make a decision, a trip to Spokane is certainly something the family has discussed.

"We haven't talked about it yet with the coaches, but we have talked about is as a family," Don said of a visit to Gonzaga. "We are going to do it for sure, and hopefully in the future, he can take an official visit as well".

Here is the summer schedule for Dreamvision and Kendall Small. We will be sure to keep everyone updated on Kendall and his recruitment. We would like to thank Don Small for taking the time for this interview.

Summer Schedule:

Big Showdown: May 19-20

Magic Memorial Day Classic: May 26-28

Pangos All-American Camp: June 1-3

Double Pump Boy's Three Stripes Tournament: July 11-15

Double Pump Boy's Best of The Summer: July 18-22

Adidas Superstar 64: July 25-29

Rob Sacre talks about the draft process and how he is getting prepared. What impact can Rob make at...

2012-05-16T19:29:44Z

Rob Sacre talks about the draft process and how he is getting prepared. What impact can Rob make at the next level?

The bench C Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga Background: 7-1/280; unranked prospect from Torun, Poland...

2012-05-15T17:42:29Z

The bench

C Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga
Background: 7-1/280; unranked prospect from Torun, Poland
Buzz: Karnowski (his name is pronounced Puh-shemick Car-now-ski) signed with the Zags last month, and if he lives up to the hype – he has been compared to Marc Gasol – Gonzaga will be one of the top three teams on the West Coast. As with many European big men, Karnowksi has a high basketball IQ and has a nice all-around game. He has played on the Polish Junior National team and in several European championship tournaments, among them the 2008 U16 European Championship, the 2009 U16 European Championship, the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship, the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship and the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship. This past season, Karnowski played in Poland's top league and averaged 10.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and shot 54 percent from the floor.

-- Yahoo's All Freshman team for 2012-13

Pretty high praise for the latest addition to the Gonzaga Bulldogs roster. Others mentioned on this 'team' are Nerlens Noel, Rodney Purvis, Kyle Anderson, and of course Shabazz Muhammad. Karnowski is also the only international prospect on the list, further proving Tommy Lloyd's awesomeness.

Recruiting Roundup: Zags Eyeing A Transfer?

2012-05-15T03:36:24Z

Much has been made about how Gonzaga will close out the 2012 class. After the addition of Przemek Karnowski, the main question facing the Zags is how they will address the SF position. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be a ton of options that can immediately step in and provide immediate production. With that said, that hasn't stopped the Gonzaga staff from continuing to look towards the future, as after this season, both Guy Landry-Edi and Mike Hart will be out of eligibility.

One name that we reported last night as a potential option was Gerard Coleman, a transfer from Providence. Coleman averaged in double-figures in each of his two seasons at Providence, including 13.2 ppg last season. Coleman is a great slasher off the perimeter, but is also an excellent rebounder at the SF position. Coleman was the second leading rebounder on the Friars last season. He isn't a great perimeter shooter, but considering the fact that the Zags would still have Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell Jr and Kyle Dranginis on the perimeter when Coleman became eligible, it wouldn't be a huge issue.

At this point, we have just heard there is interest in Coleman, and no official visit has been setup. However, it will be interesting to see if Coleman does decide to make the trek out to the West Coast to see GU.

The other update we have is on key 2013 prospect Xavier Rathan-Mayes. We interviewed Xavier's coach at Huntington Prep last week and we continue to hear that Gonzaga is doing an excellent job with his recruitment, which is being spearheaded by Donny Daniels. Left Coast Recruiting was in attendance at the EYBL in Dallas this past weekend, and had this write-up on XRM:

Xavier Rathan Mayes (CIA Bounce) – The Canadian 2013 guard can shoot with the best in the nation. Not only can Mayes shoot but he can handle the ball well and find the open man.