When I read the headline, “Kent inks prep standout Wilson to NLI,” I couldn’t help but smile. Smile for the future of Oregon basketball. Smile that the Ducks return every single player who played noticeable minutes during this year’s rebuilding process. And smile because of the three new recruits head coach Ernie Kent and his staff have gotten to sign national letters of intent this spring.
I follow men’s college basketball closer than any other sport, and the depth and experience Oregon is likely to have over the next few seasons is nothing short of exciting. While we will see the Tajuan Porter era end this winter, we will also see the beginning of a new, more balanced era with the eight freshmen in the class of 2012.
While the Ducks will likely go three-deep at the point guard position again next year, Kent has picked up a few young small forwards who could prove to be the missing piece to Oregon’s offensive woes.
First is 6-foot-7-inch, 215-pound small forward Jamil Wilson. Wilson, the fifth-ranked small forward in the nation according to Scout.com, has the ability to finish and versatility as strengths – two things the Duck team lacked this past winter.
If Oregon can add a versatile, big-bodied scorer into its rotation, I believe it will fill a huge gap. The Ducks spent a large majority of last season living and dying by the three-ball, with an occasional low post look into 6-foot-10-inch freshman center Michael Dunigan. If Wilson develops into the player it sounds like he can be, he’ll be able to get into the lane with his dribble penetration, and also create better looks for guards on the perimeter as well as the big men underneath.
Wilson averaged 21.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.4 steals per game during his senior season, and should complement the rest of the Oregon squad rather well. As should South Medford senior E.J. Singler, who has been a three-year starter at the 6A level and has a similar frame to that of Wilson.
The 6-foot-6-inch, 200-pound forward should provide another much-needed scoring spark as he averaged more than 20 points per game the past two seasons. Singler also looks to raise his game to the next level during big games, shown by his 26.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game during this year’s state tournament. He also joins Oregon guard Garrett Sim as the second straight Oregon 6A Player of the Year to sign with the Ducks.
Last is the 6-foot-8-inch, 230-pound junior college transfer Jeremy Jacob. Jacob helped Chipola College to a 34-2 record this season, which included a 32-game winning streak, and should be able to add some depth to the forward position.
While the strength of the Pacific-10 Conference was unusually weak this year, it looks as though Oregon could be one of the most experienced teams in the conference three or four years down the road.
A few notable Pac-10 standouts who will either graduate or declare for the NBA draft by next fall: UCLA stars Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, Alfred Aboya and Jrue Holiday; USC freshman DeMar DeRozan; Washington center Jon Brockman; Arizona juniors Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill; and Arizona State’s Pac-10 Player of the Year and first team All-American selection James Harden.
Oregon has been one of the few teams in the Pac-10 that has not played host to one-year-wonders such as Jerryd Bayless from Arizona, Kevin Love from UCLA and O.J. Mayo from USC, all from the 2008 draft class. Picking up high-school prodigies has helped in the short run, but Oregon chose to go a different route: one where team members will have the chance to build off of each other’s strengths over the next several seasons.
It will undoubtedly be a much different team a few seasons from now, and I’m just glad I’ll be here to see it.
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Recruiting class brings hope for future
Daily Emerald
April 15, 2009
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