We should know the fate of prized recruit Montrezl Harrell by the end of the day.  That day being Wednesday, May 16th.  Today is the final day of the NCAA basketball regular signing period according to THIS WEBSITE.  So if he wants to play ball next year, one would think Harrell will have to declare his intentions, and sign, today.  Now, there could be provisions for when a student-athlete is released from a Letter of Intent, but I don’t know of them if there are any.

I really don’t know if Montrezl is still considering the Hokies or not.  According to THIS ARTICLE he hasn’t been released from his Letter of Intent, which he needs to sign with another school.  The article claims kentucky is seriously considering Harrell.

Either way, I wouldn’t get your hopes up too much, but we should at least know the final answer soon.  Real soon.

Popularity: 30% [?]

The Richmond Times Dispatch is reporting that 2012 signee, forward Montrezl Harrell, has asked for his release. Harrell was a top 100 recruit according to every service, and would have plugged a huge hole inside next year. Instead, like seemingly every other year, Tech will have no depth in the post. Only Raines, Barksdale, and JVG return as true post players. Signee Marshall Wood, who is 6’8″ but more of a perimeter player who does not have the bulk yet to battle inside in the ACC, may be forced to play the 4 at times.

Popularity: 27% [?]

In the Greenberg Era, Seth was able to sign 8 recruits ranked in the Top 100 according to Rivals.com.  They were:

• 2004 – Marquie Cooke – #57
• 2006 – Lewis Witcher – #99
• 2007 – Jeff Allen – #77
• 2007 – Malcolm Delaney – #89
• 2010 – Jarell Eddie – #70
• 2011 – Dorian Finney-Smith – #31
• 2011 – Robert Brown – #82
• 2011 – C.J. Barksdale – #99

Arguably, Cooke and Finney-Smith were the two biggest on that list, and not just because they had the highest rating.  Yes, Jeff Allen was a huge, national recruit, too, with experience at Dematha and Oak Hill, but I’ll still put Cooke and DFS above him.

Cooke was seen as a huge get for Virginia Tech back in 2004, Seth’s first full year of recruiting.  Cooke was from the 757 and played in the prestigious Boo Williams AAU program.  Tech didn’t get Boo kids in the ricky stokes reign.  But Marquie instantly appeared to be a headcase and was kicked off the team after one season.  He transferred to colorado state and was quickly booted from there.  Cooke finally finished out his college career this past season playing for elizabeth city state university in North Carolina (“Lots of people go to college for 8 years,”  “Yeah, they’re called doctors.”).

Finney-Smith was regarded as Tech’s biggest recruit since Dell Curry, Tech’s last (and probably only) McDonald’s All-American.   Doe Doe wasn’t a McDonald’s All-American but was right on the cusp of it, along with near 5-star status.  He struggle at times this past season, missing 25 straight shots early on in ACC play (he didn’t make a FG in a 5 game stretch between ACC game #3 through 7), but did get better at the end of the season and made the ACC All-Freshmen Team.  Yet, now Doe Doe is extinct in terms of Hokie status.

It is hard to say how much was Seth’s fault in either case, and we’ll likely never know.  But it isn’t a great trend (well, if you can call 2 guys a trend).  You could look at the positive side and say that of the 3 guys on that list above that stayed all 4 years, 2 of those 3 (Allen and Delaney) garnered multiple All-ACC honors (Allen as a freshman and senior, Delaney his last 3 years including back-to-back First Team All-ACC honors).  Plus, Dorenzo Hudson, who was top 100 on some lists and #110 with Rivals, also was named 2nd Team All-ACC his junior year.  But…

The charge for Coach Johnson will be not only getting top 100 recruits, but keeping them.  Can Tech only get the problem childs of top recruits?  The malcontents?  We’ll see.  But clearly the issue for Coach Johnson starting today will be landing those top guys (VA has 3 top 100 recruits in the 2013 Class) and getting them to the graduation podium.

Popularity: 27% [?]

Newly appointed Head Coach James Johnson picked up his first recruiting win on Wednesday, or in baseball terms, maybe we should call it a ‘save’.  Johnson was able to convince 2012 signee, forward MARSHALL WOOD, to re-commit to the Hokies.  Wood, a 3-star prospect who at 6’8″ is also a talented 3-point shooter, had asked for his release.  But several outlets, including Twitter, have reported that Wood is solid as mahogany with Tech.

Now Coach Johnson needs to play Mariano Rivera and get the prized recruit, 4-star forward MONTREZL HARRELL, to stick with the Hokies.

Popularity: 36% [?]

Update:  Rumors are swirling that Montrezl Harrell will ask for his release, too.  I’ve seen rumors about him and kentucky, cincinnati, xavier, and more.  But again, if VT can get a coach in place soon and get him in front of the guys, VT may be able to keep them.  The basketball signing period ends May 16th so that means these guys have to be inked by 3 weeks from today, putting urgency on VT and them to make decisions.

When you have a coaching change, there is always a high risk of losing players.  With Coach Greenberg fired, the first potential person to jump ship is 2012 signee Marshall Wood, a forward from Rustburg, VA.  This is all according to my sources and this ROANOKE TIMES ARTICLE.  Marshall will apparently ask for his release from his binding Letter of Intent, which universities usually grant when there’s a coaching change.

Marshall was ranked a 3-star recruit by most services, and the lesser of Tech’s two signees (Montrezl Harrell was the more prized recruit).  But Wood seems to have great potential.  He is a fantastic 3-point shooter for a big man (6’8″) and also has explosive leaping ability.

There is a chance he’ll still sign with VT, but I think the odds of that are 50/50 at best and very much depends on who VT hires and how soon.

Keeping Harrell will also be key as he certainly has options.

MARSHALL WOOD PROFILE

Popularity: 54% [?]

MONTREZL HARRELL, one of two VT signees in the Class 2012, played in the 39th annual Capital Classic on Saturday at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA. Harrell was named MVP of the game while playing for the U.S. All-Stars, leading them to a 105-93 win. It was Harrell’s 2nd MVP honor in as many weekends while playing in an all-star game.

The Capital Classic has included many Hokies in recent years, including Malcolm Delaney, Jeff Allen, Dorenzo Hudson, and Dorian Finney-Smith. It used to be one of the premier high school all star games as recently as 10 years ago, but has fallen down the ladder due to lack of big sponsorship. Still, it is a quality game and good experience.

It should be noted that scouting services are taking notice – Harrell has moved slightly up the Rivals and ESPN rankings (in the 80s nationally), while falling just slightly in the Scout rankings (#72 overall nationally). He’s #78 in 247sports’ rankings.

Our good buddy and regular poster, Hokie Guru, went to the 2012 Capital Classic on Saturday and had this report… (Thanks, Guru!)

From Hokie Guru: Yesterday, I had the good fortune of seeing Montrezl Harrell play in the Capital Classic. Here are a few observations:

• By my account, Montrezl had 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists – an excellent line for someone who will be playing for the four spot.
• Our incoming recruit has a high basketball IQ – I think he’s smart, heady player – this isn’t a guy that’s going to get us a technical at inopportune times.
• He has an excellent all-around offensive game – he can shoot from anywhere on the floor, but he’s more effective in the post. Yesterday, he had some monster dunks – yes, monster – alley oops, a windmill, etc. But he was also 50% from 3-point land.
• Montrezl is very athletic – he plays above the rim – I think it’s premature on some of the observations that he’s like Dominque Wilkins (alas, Hokies’ expectations are always through the roof) – at the same time, I think he can get there if his ball-handling skills improve (we should keep in mind that he’s not even on campus at Virginia Tech yet). Among the big men last night, though, Montrezl stood out.
• He has a knack for making the right pass.
• For a big man, his court vision is excellent.
• At this stage of the game, I think he’s far better than Jeff Allen was as a freshman – and he’s in better physical shape.
• Montrezl is a very, good person – a really nice guy.
• Quite frankly, I think that Montrezl could save Seth’s job.

Other observations:

• maryland has sort of a fab-five coming in – some real talent – Shaquille Cleare, Seth Allen, Damonte Dodd, Charles Mitchell, and Sam Cassell Jr (who committed last night to the Terps) – the Terps will be back in the coming years – this will make the ACC stronger.
• virginia’s commit, Justin Anderson, will also be a baller.

Matthew
@HokieGuru

Popularity: 23% [?]

On Saturday, 2012 Virginia Tech signee, forward Montrezl Harrell, showed off his athleticism and energy, powering the East team to a 84-82 win in Charlotte in a Jordan Brand Classic regional game.  Harrell was named the East MVP after scoring 14 points (reportedly several monster dunks included) and blocking a shot in the final seconds to preserve the win.

The Regional Game featured the top prep players from the state of North Carolina (Harrell is from NC even though he played for Hargrave Military Academy in VA this year).  The game was the appetizer before the National Game Saturday night.

Here’s a link to HARRELLs PAGE.  He averaged over 22 points and almost 10 rebounds per game this year for a Hargrave Post-Grad team that lost just one game.

Popularity: 19% [?]

I’ve updated the MARSHALL WOOD PAGE, showing his stat lines from all 20 regular season games (they start Districts this week).  Here’s some interesting stats:

• In the regular season, Marshall averaged 24.0 ppg, 12.7 rpg, and 3.2 blocks per game.
• He had 31 points and 21 rebounds against Amherst County on January 24th.
• Wood recorded a triple double against Glass in the regular season finale, tallying 31 points, 12 boards, and 10 blocks.
• His team is 15-5.

Also, here is a nice ROANOKE TIMES ARTICLE on him.  They talk about him shooting the 3 a lot, and he does shoot it, but 39% and 36/93 isn’t that great for high school.  He’ll struggle I’m sure from deep next year, adjusting to the deeper line, taller defenders, and speed of the game.  But I’m knocking on Wood that he’ll be a player by his sophomore season, much like Jarell Eddie made the leap between freshman and sophomore years, and to me they are similar players although Eddie was a bigger recruit and played tougher competition in high school.

Popularity: 18% [?]

2012 VT signee Montrezl Harrell dropped just over 2 quarters on Fishburne Military Academy Thursday night, scoring 51 points and adding 17 rebounds and 6 blocks in a 122-119 overtime win for the Hargrave Military Academy Postgrad team (ARTICLE about the game). The win propelled Hargrave to 28-0 on the season.

You can see all of Montrezl’s stats on his PERSONAL PAGE (LINK).

Harrell is averaging over 22 ppg and just under 10 rebounds on the season.  He will no doubt provide a post presence for the Hokies next year, bringing a similar style as Cadarian Raines into the paint, but with slightly more offensive skills in the post compared to Raines at the same age.

Popularity: 23% [?]

For those of you interested in the progress of next year’s two signees, here is an update:

Montrezl Harrell (Link to his page):

• I’ve updated his stats from all of the 23 Hargrave post-grad games this year (check the Game Notes section).
• Averaging 21.4 ppg and 9.6 rebounds.
• Recently had 31 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 blocks against Rise Academy.
• Has led his team in scoring in 12 of the 23 games.
• The team is 23-0.

Marshall Wood (Link to his page):

• I’ve updated his stats from all 14 of the Rustburg Red Devils’ games this year (check the Game Notes section).
• Averaging 24.4 ppg, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game.
• Had a triple-double (21 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 blocks) against Glass back in December.
• Exploded for 49 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 blocks in a win over Liberty (Bedford) in mid-December.  He hit 7/8 3-pointers in that game.
• Led his team to a Holiday Tournament championship in late December and made the All-Tourney Team.
• Has led his team in scoring in all but one game.
• The Red Devils (AA) are 10-4.

Popularity: 23% [?]

I’ve (finally) created a page for the 2012 Virginia Tech Recruiting Class, along with pages for both signees.  I have all the game stats for Montrezl Harrell, who is playing at Hargrave this year.  The Top 100 recruit is averaging 21.1 ppg and 9.3 rpg.  Marshall Wood’s page is up, but I’m still researching his game stats.

You can find the pages underneath the ‘Recruiting’ link on the top nav bar, or here:

• 2012 Recruiting Class
• Montrezl Harrell‘s page
• Marshall Wood‘s page

Tech still has at least 2 scholarships available in this class, and 3 if JT Thompson decides not to return next season.

Popularity: 26% [?]

I’ve added a new page that shows all of the Virginia Tech basketball signees since Head Coach Seth Greenberg took over in 2003 along with how they did, if they stayed, and other notes.

VT Greenberg Recruit Tracker

Popularity: 21% [?]

The Hokies landed their second commitment, and second forward, for the Class of 2012.  Marshall Wood from Rustburg High School in Rustburg, VA (just south of Lynchburg) will stay close to home and play for the orange and maroon starting next year.

• Rating: Wood is a 3-star recruit according to ESPN, Rivals and Scout.
• Height: Both Rivals and Scout list him at 6’8″, while ESPN has him at 6’7″.
• Weight: Rivals has him at 210 lbs (compared to 200 on ESPN and 195 on Scout).
• Rankings: He was not ranked nationally or at his position by Rivals or Scout.  ESPN has him as the 5th best in VA this year, 27th in the region, and 33rd nationally at his position.
• Offers: According to Rivals and ESPN, he had offers of note from clemson, michigan, vanderbilt, uva, vcu, and wake forest (Rivals only)

Doug Doughty of the Roanoke Times talked about Wood in his latest Notebook Plus article (look about 2/3 of the way down) and had an interesting perspective on uva not initially offering Marshall for the Class of 2012.  The article also talks about how Wood is a bit of a late bloomer and his stock has been blowing up lately.

Article: Doughty on Wood

Wood joins 4-star power forward Montrezl Harrell, a top 100 recruit, in the Class of 2012.

Popularity: 35% [?]

43 Photos have been added!*  DFS at the Capital Classic (PHOTOS)

Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2011 VT signee and Tech’s highest ranked recruit in almost 30 years, scored 16 points in 21 minutes of action as the US All-Stars pummeled the Capital All-Stars in the 38th annual Capital Classic in Upper Marlboro, MD.  The Washington Post credited him with 9 rebounds to boot.

Dodo was the highest ranked recruit in the game according to most recruiting services, and showed flashes of what excites many Hokie fans. His first hoop was a coast-to-coast drive and finger roll layup. He knocked down his first triple. DFS added another bucket and 2/4 from the foul line. He closed the half with a tip-in dunk to give him 9 points at the half. Dorian also got the biggest laugh, though at his expense – he clanked a dunk off the underneath part of the rim on a breakaway, sending the crowd and players into a hardy laugh. I hope it was a 12-foot high rim because he was well short.

Dorian cruised through the second half in the blowout. He showed a great spin move off the dribble to score in close. Then he beat his man with a great ball fake, went baseline, elevated to dunk with one hand, got fouled and had the shot partially blocked, but finished the shot and converted the 3-point play. Dodo added two more free throws to finish with 16 points by my count. He was 5/7 from the line, 1/2 from 3-point range, and approximately 5/11 from the field.

Dorian showed a lot of versatility. He played the wing at times, but also had to guard the Capital All-Stars’ center, a st. louis recruit who was listed at 7-foot but was closer to 6’9″.

While there wasn’t much intensity in the game, and DFS seemed to be conserving energy, here’s what I noted in my first in-person viewing:

• Explosive leaper (despite the missed dunk).  Check out the lead photo in this article and on Flickr.  Dodo is up there with the birds. He’s going to posterize some guys. Not a Deron-like leaper, but he will be fun to watch. Roll the highlights.
• Good penetrator. Can handle in traffic. Probably not good enough to bring the ball up the court, but what 6’7″ guys are other than Magic and Penny.
• Needs to work on his outside shooting. I only got a small sample size, and I’m biased by what I’ve heard, but this isn’t his strength at this time. Didn’t get to see him shoot a midrange jumper.  Haven’t looked at the photos I took, you can see he leans back too much on his jumpshot (same issue Erick Green has).
• Solid rebounder, especially on offense. Really attacks the tin. If teams don’t check him, he’ll be flushing missed shots. Positions himself well on defense and puts his body on his man. Aggressively goes after balls coming towards him, but wasn’t that active chasing down misses that weren’t right at him.  Needs that mentality he owns every miss.  But again, this was an all-star game.
• Since this was an all-star game so I won’t even bother accessing his man defense, but he did battle the big man for the other team.
• He’s very tall (legit 6’7″ – look at the photo of him next to me – I’m 6’1″ and he towers over me) and very smooth. Great athlete. Looks like the real deal but I’d like to see him in a meaningful game where the intensity is there. Seems like a team player, too. Actually passed the ball some (90% of the guys didn’t).

Popularity: 54% [?]

The Hokies got their Class of 2012 off to a great start, continuing the dazzling class they put together in 2011.  Tech received a verbal commitment from Montrezl Harrell out of Tarboro, NC.  Harrell helps fill a big need for the Hokies (a need they’ve had for years).  Montrezl already fills out at 6’7″ and 225 lbs.  He should certainly have an ACC body for the low post within a year of his arrival in Blacksburg, if not sooner.

Here’s where Harrell ranks in the various major services for the Class of 2012:

• Scout: 4-star, #12 PF, #49 overall
• ESPN: 4-star, #13 PF, #50 overall
• Rivals: 4-star, #15 PF, #58 overall

Once again, John Richardson was given a lot of credit on this get.  He is proving to be a big asset and this shows he wasn’t just good for Dorian Finney-Smith.  And hats off to Seth for continuing to raise the bar on recruiting and get a player at a position of need.

VT beat out the likes of uva, south carolina, miami, wake forest, xavier, and clemson for Harrell.  A really solid get.  Harrell had visited the weekend of the duke game.  Apparently that weekend paid a lot of dividends to VT already.

So, what nickname are we going to give him?  Trezl my dizzle?   Trez?  Mon-triz-ay?

Popularity: 43% [?]

The wins keep piling up for the Hokies’ four signees in the 2011 class.  The biggest win came at the Scope last night in the Eastern Region semi-finals…

Norcom 54, Kellam 53 – Eastern Region Semis – The Greyhounds narrowly pull out a win in a match-up of the top two teams in the state and punched their ticket for the Virginia AAA State Tournament.  Norcom will look to repeat as state champs, but first they’d like to lock up the Eastern Region title on Monday against Phoebus.

Dorian Finney-Smith hit two clutch free throws to put the Greyhounds up 54-50 late.  A Kellam 3-pointer and a Norcom turnover gave Kellam a chance at the win, but the inbounds passed turned into a loose ball that ran out the clock.

It was Kellam’s first loss of the season while Norcom improved to 26-1.

Dorian had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Greyhounds.

Two weeks earlier, Finney-Smith had 20 points, 16 rebounds, and 8 blocks to lead Norcom to the Eastern District Championship over Booker T. Washington, avenging their only loss of the season.

For more game notes on this year’s class, check out our 2011 Recruit Stat and News Page (link).

Popularity: 37% [?]