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re: Alabama basketball recruiting
Posted on 4/9/12 at 11:19 am to Bryant91092
Posted on 4/9/12 at 11:19 am to Bryant91092
quote:
Devoted Junior Deacon Devonta Pollard (Kemper County HS, MS) prematurely departed the Alabama campus Saturday evening interrupting an enjoyable official visit to honor a 7:00 AM Easter Sunday service obligation. Arriving prior to noon on Friday, the versatile forward was accompanied to Tuscaloosa by his mother and senior point guard teammate Nick Giles.
quote:
Alabama Head Coach Anthony Grant, his staff and other university officials met with Devonta Pollard. A priority for the Mississippi Player of the Year was to inquire about his role with the Crimson Tide. Grant anticipated the question. “He (Grant) sat me down and talked to me about how I would be a great fit in their style of play. He talked to me about what they teach their guys as far as the different ways to guard screens and other things,” said the Scout.com five-star rated extraordinary athlete. “He said I was an up and down type of player and that is the way they like to play in transition. I received a very good answer how I would fit in their system
quote:
Knowledgeable basketball scouts project the gifted senior has the potential to compete at the next level in the near future. Pollard addressed the conventional wisdom. “I’m trying to play however many years it takes for me to become a lottery pick. If I can play one year and leave to be a part of the league (NBA) as a lottery pick then I will be gone in one year. If I have to stay two years to reach that level, then I will stay two years. Coach Grant thinks it will be two years at the max."
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Posted on 4/9/12 at 11:41 am to Bryant91092
Posted on 4/9/12 at 12:53 pm to Bryant91092
quote:
Coach Grant thinks it will be two years at the max.
Regardless of what Grant feels, don't you think this is a standard response to that question?
Posted on 4/9/12 at 1:08 pm to East Coast Band
quote:
Regardless of what Grant feels, don't you think this is a standard response to that question?
Yep. If a kid thinks he has one and done talent, you tell him at the most, it'll take two years to get him to the NBA.
Posted on 4/9/12 at 2:43 pm to Bryant91092
You guys heard anything about this Darrell Johnson? A guy on BOL said we were trying to get in on him. THe kid is looking for a offer from Memphis and has 1 from V. Tech. Looking at his film he looks pretty good. Reminds me of Hines. He doesnt look too bad offensively either. Kid runs the floor great also. Surprised he isnt ranked at all by most sites.
Video of Johnson
Video of Johnson
Posted on 4/9/12 at 2:48 pm to Bryant91092
quote:
Alabama basketball coach Anthony Grant has made a habit of going after top prospects in the late signing period. Last year, he landed four-star guard Trevor Lacey and this year he’s going after another ESPNU 100 star, Devonta Pollard.
Over the weekend, Pollard took his official visit to Alabama, and although it was a trip he has made more than a dozen times, the Mississippi native still had a great time.
“I had a great visit to Alabama,” Pollard said. “On Friday, we had a fish fry for the baseball and softball games. Then we went to the little softball game and saw the girls play softball. From there, we went to the gym and played around.
“Saturday morning, we got up and went to Rama Jama’s and ate there. I talked to the nutritionist, the strength and conditioning guy, and I talked to the people who do the media.”
Not surprisingly, the person he spent the most time with over the weekend was Grant. The two have formed a close bond throughout his recruitment, and the third-year coach of the Tide reiterated to the 6-foot-7 forward how his skills fit perfectly with what the teams likes to do.
“What he said to me was basically how he thinks I’d fit in their offense as far as my style of play and their style of play, how I like to get up and down and play transition ball and how they like to play transition ball,” Pollard said. “They like to get up and down and run, and that’s where I think I’d feel comfortable playing. That’s where I think I’m at my best, when I’m getting up and down the court, running.”
There’s no doubt that Pollard, a McDonald’s All-American, has the talent and ability to make an early impact for Alabama, but it’s even more apparent now with the recent departures of Tony Mitchell and Charles Hankerson.
“They just said they feel like I could come in as a freshman and have a big impact on their team, and they would love to have me do that,” Pollard said.
With his visit to Tuscaloosa behind him, Pollard has now visited three of his four finalists: Alabama, Missouri and Texas.
However, he still wouldn’t tip his hat as to which school he was leaning to.
“They were all fun, and all of them treated me right,” Pollard said. “I felt like I could go to any of those schools and be able to play and be successful.”
Pollard is scheduled to visit Georgetown, his other finalist, at some point this weekend. He plans to make a decision shortly after he returns from his trip to Washington D.C., and the ESPN 100 star knows it won’t be an easy choice.
“All of the schools have what I’m looking for, and I feel I could go to all of them and play,” Pollard said. “So I think I’ll make my decision on where do I feel more comfortable, what system do I feel like I can go to and be more successful and where can I go and feel like I’m right at home.”
Posted on 4/9/12 at 2:52 pm to Sandkhan
Pollard is perfect for our style of play, not so much for Georgetown's.
Posted on 4/9/12 at 2:54 pm to Bryant91092
I think he'll be in Crimson next year. 
Posted on 4/9/12 at 2:55 pm to Tide or Die87
quote:
You guys heard anything about this Darrell Johnson?
That's one guy I've heard nothing about. Was there an article on 247 about him?
Posted on 4/9/12 at 3:10 pm to Bryant91092
Not an article, just a thread started by a poster. It may have been whacked though, because now I can't find it. 
ETA: Found it.
Here is the link he provided: LINK
ETA: Found it.
quote:
Looks like we are trying to get in late on a PF out of St Louis. Here are a few videos. Played some football which I really like. We really missed Chris Hines junkyard dog type play down in the post this year. Maybe we can steal this guy late. Looks like Va Tech has the lead with Memphis trying to slow play him.
Here is the link he provided: LINK
This post was edited on 4/9/12 at 3:15 pm
Posted on 4/9/12 at 3:14 pm to Bryant91092
Well I check out list of offered players on BOL often and this time I checked there was a new player on there and it was him. What do you think of his film Bryant. I read a article where teams thought that he wouldnt be able to come in with this class but now he has his grades in order. Maybe thats the reason why he hasnt been rated because he looks like a decent prospect. Anyway there is a thread on 247 saying we were trying to get in on him.
This is his profile
profile
This is his profile
profile
Posted on 4/9/12 at 3:15 pm to Bryant91092
I think he'd be limited to mostly wing at Gtown but could play all over for us. Plus I dislike Gtown fans after this years game 
Posted on 4/9/12 at 3:19 pm to Tide or Die87
quote:
Before coming on the trip, Johnson noted that Tech might have even led for his services. Did the trip reaffirm him or change things? "It kind of changed things," he said. "I know I always have said I wanted to get away from home. But, actually getting on the trip, the plane ride and knowing I had to take two planes no matter what. That made me second-guess things a little bit. I know I didn't have my truck anymore and I couldn't drive to campus since the airport is so far away from campus." Johnson maintains Tech is right in the mix. "I'm down to Memphis, Virginia Tech and Alabama," he said. "Alabama wants to get me in and I might be looking at taking a visit. "I really wanted to get a decision by Wednesday, but it looks like I'll have to push it back further. I'll have to see Memphis and maybe even Alabama."
This is an article from yesterday.
Posted on 4/9/12 at 3:23 pm to Bryant91092
quote:
This is an article from yesterday.
Thanks thats probably what he talking about. Hope we can get in on him.
Posted on 4/9/12 at 3:25 pm to Tide or Die87
I'll have to watch his video when I get home because it isn't loading. We may want him to visit and hold off on signing for a week or two to see what Pollard and possibly Walker do.
Posted on 4/9/12 at 3:30 pm to Bryant91092
I mean he is nothing special but he runs the floor continuously and hustles. Looks good to me, I wish we really could get him. We need another big.
Posted on 4/9/12 at 3:59 pm to Bryant91092
quote:
Pollard is perfect for our style of play, not so much for Georgetown's.
Georgetown also has 2/3 of their front court coming back and both of them are pretty solid players. We have Jacobs, Gueye, and Engstrom. That alone should put us over the top.
Posted on 4/9/12 at 4:02 pm to Robot Santa
Exactly. Pollard and Porter play the same position I'm pretty sure. Pollard could start at the 4 for us and move Jacobs to center.
Posted on 4/9/12 at 4:53 pm to Bryant91092
If we get him I dont think he will start out as a 4. Im pretty sure CAG didnt tell him he will be playing the 4. I see him playing the 3. I think Gueye will step up and be our center. My whole thing is man I dont see this kid being as good as everybody think he is. He is a athlete and a good player but I dont see him ever being a lottery pick unless he grows up to 6'9 or 6'10 and plays defense like Tyrus Thomas.
Posted on 4/9/12 at 5:01 pm to Tide or Die87
Him being able to play the 3 would be the ideal scenario. I don't think he'll be a lottery pick, but I think he'll contribute immediately and be a 10-13 PPG guy.
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