Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Which Players Will Join The 3,000-Hit Club?

Anthony Grant works to build 2011 class

With most of the 2010 basketball signing class already on campus preparing for the upcoming season, Tide coach Anthony Grant is focusing this summer on recruiting for the 2011 class, most of whom will sign in November's early period, just over three months away.

Grant started things off with a bang just days after the signing deadline for the 2010 class in May, when two of the hottest recruits in the state committed to be a part of the crucial 2011 signing class for the Tide. Both Levi Randolph, a 6-6 guard from Bob Jones High School in the Huntsville area, and Rodney Cooper, a 6-5 guard from Russell County High School in Phenix City, are considered eilte 4-star prospects and are expected to have an immediate impact in the SEC given their size and skills. Randolph in particular has received rave reviews and is considered by many to be the state's best prospect since NBA lottery pick DeMarcus Cousins, who signed with Kentucky.

Both Randolph and Cooper are featured in this video from TideSports competing in a recent AAU tournament as teammates.


Alabama will have a minimum of four scholarships to give for this class, and Grant has been busy this summer hitting the recruiting trails working to finish what is shaping up to be a very strong class. Within the state of Alabama, the biggest target is Trevor Lacey, a 6-3 guard out of Butler High School in Huntsville. Lacey is also rated as a high 4-star prospect and top-40 player nationally, and Grant will be in competition with John Calipari of Kentucky among others for his signature in November. Another in-state product with an offer from Grant is 6-10 center Willy Kouassi from Central Park High School in Birmingham. Kouassi, a native of Cote d'Ivoire, is the fourth in-state player (along with Randolph, Cooper, and Lacey) ranked in the Rivals 150. His coach, Darien Knox, is the uncle of former Tide forward Justin Knox, who recently left the program to transfer to North Carolina.

With two guards already committed, and a need for this team in the post, big men will be a major priority for the coaching staff. In addition to Kouassi, Grant is targeting a wide array of out-of-state 4-star post talent. Bama has offered, and is getting interest from: 6-8 Angelo Chol out of San Diego, 6-9 Nick Jacobs of Atlanta, 6-7 Julian Royal of Alpharetta, Georgia, 6-7 Rodney Hood of Meridian, Mississippi, and 6-9 Johnny O'Bryant of Cleveland, Mississippi. Grant is also targeting Kedren Johnson, a 6-4 guard from the same high school in Lewisberg, Tennessee that produced Dont'a Hightower.

While there are only two definite scholarships available to give, don't be surprised to see the coaching staff look to sign as many as five players. Transfers, as we know, are all too common these days, not to mention the possibility of a player leaving early for the NBA draft. There is simply too much talent available for Bama in this class not to take as many players as they think will fit once classes begin in August of 2011.

With that said, I expect Grant to try and sign two of the big men listed above and one of Lacey and Johnson if he can get them. If he does so, this could go down as one of the best signing classes in program history.

Comment 17 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

Great write up

This is some very encouraging news to say the least. I really like the size we are trying to reel in as well. What kind of negative impact will the transfer of Justin Knox have on us since his daddy is coaching here in state?

by Chadrob15 on Jul 19, 2010 12:19 PM CDT via mobile reply actions  

quote from D. Knox

link from Darien Knox interview at TideSports
Q: Do you or him have any hard feelings towards Alabama?

A: No, I think there was some disappointment, but any ill feelings, no, we don’t have time to have any ill feelings. We’ve got to close the deal. I don’t have time to have any ill feelings toward the university. We still have a strong relationship with Coach Grant and his staff. Me, Bernard and Willy are supposed to be at Alabama soon when we take an unofficial visit sometime in the first week of June. We’ve got to get ready for Elite Camp at Alabama.

I think with Justin the last couple years, things hadn’t been going the way he wanted at Alabama. It was time to make a move. He needed a fresh start. A lot of people said, ‘well why with one year left?’ He didn’t feel that in order to accomplish his goal, he was going to be able to obtain that at Alabama. Coach Grant did a good job for one year, but this year, in order for him to accomplish his goal, which is to play professionally, in order to get the points and the minutes, that post position was kind of crowded.

by Matt Dover on Jul 19, 2010 12:38 PM CDT up reply actions  

do I believe him?

Eh. Kouassi is definitely interested in us, but D. Knox has been saying that both of the Ivoirians he has been raising (Kouassi and Bernard Morena) are a package deal. Auburn and UAB have both offered both players, but Grant has yet to offer Morena. Kouassi’s interest and the fact that D. Knox has brought both players for multiple visits to Tuscaloosa tells me he’s not blackballing us or anything like that, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have some negative feelings towards Grant and/or UA deep down.

by Matt Dover on Jul 19, 2010 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions  

Vandy has also offered both Kouassi and Morena.

by KingJamesIV on Jul 19, 2010 1:04 PM CDT up reply actions  

do I believe him?

Eh. Kouassi is definitely interested in us, but D. Knox has been saying that both of the Ivoirians he has been raising (Kouassi and Bernard Morena) are a package deal. Auburn and UAB have both offered both players, but Grant has yet to offer Morena. Kouassi’s interest and the fact that D. Knox has brought both players for multiple visits to Tuscaloosa tells me he’s not blackballing us or anything like that, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have some negative feelings towards Grant and/or UA deep down.

by Matt Dover on Jul 19, 2010 12:44 PM CDT reply actions  

go GRizzANT

Anthony Grant is like toney the tiger he’s great. Great Recruiter who can coach and run a clean program …..stoked man stoked !!!

by GADROCK BAMA FAN on Jul 19, 2010 1:14 PM CDT reply actions  

OMG SNAKEOIL SALESMAN!!!
While there are only two definite scholarships available to give, don’t be surprised to see the coaching staff look to sign as many as five players.

this would never happen if jim tressel was the coach.

Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.

by kleph on Jul 19, 2010 2:08 PM CDT reply actions  

woo hoo! looks like a couple of boys that can SHOOT. i particularly liked the aesthetic of randolph’s shot…he has a beautiful soft touch and his body seems to just hang in the air with the jumper. i like!

"You have to create 6 seconds of hell each play..."
Coach Nick Saban

by LittleSis on Jul 19, 2010 2:16 PM CDT reply actions  

It's been said before...

…Bama07, you are a tremendous asset to this site…thanks for all you’ve done at RBR….

"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban

by NiceLittleSaturday on Jul 19, 2010 3:00 PM CDT reply actions  

You heard it here first

I’m hearing rumors that Levi Randolph might not qualify, so we should definitely speculate about this until we get some firm news one way or the other on whether or not Randolph has qualified.

by Bama philosophe on Jul 19, 2010 4:09 PM CDT reply actions  

haven't heard anything of the sort

Everything I’ve heard about him and his family off the court has been very positive. That doesn’t assure him of qualifying by any means, but nothing I’ve heard indicates that he is even in danger.

by Matt Dover on Jul 19, 2010 4:48 PM CDT up reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to the SB Nation blog covering the Alabama Crimson Tide.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

Crystal_ball_small
So Good It Should Be Illegal

Recent FanPosts

Mewanee_3_men_in_a_tub_after_small
2012 Post-Signing Day Projected Defensive Depth Chart
Woodymugshot1_small
RBR Random 10
Script-a_small
Recruiting - Looking at who went where - by State
Small
2012 Post-Signing Day Projected Offensive Depth Chart
Mewanee_3_men_in_a_tub_after_small
Have you seen 2012 QB Alec Morris' stats???‏
Kyp2_small
Your "It's Been Almost Three Weeks and Still Feels Like Yesterday" Random 10
Small
A Tale of Two Coaches
Small
Bamastuff.com hacked - Check your bank statments
Small
Alabama Football 2011-2012 Audio/Visual Recap: "Number Fourteen"

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Roll Bama Roll on Twitter


Managers

Disreputable_small Todd

Miltonf-788904_small outsidethesidelines

Kyp2_small Nico2.0

Editors

Kleph_logo_copy_small kleph

Green_small Matt Dover