Adam Baliatico
PirateCrew.com Recruiting Analyst
Updating the State of Seton Hall’s 2020 Recruiting Efforts
With the Fall Signing Period rapidly approaching, it is a good time to give a comprehensive look at what is left for Seton Hall in the Class of 2020. In this article, I will update where things stand with each Seton Hall target, where I think they should be ranked versus their current rankings, and how Seton Hall is faring in each recruitment.
By the way, I could not get a name, but I was told SHU was also after another talented big man that they have not been mentioned with publicly yet, but that is all I have.
Earl Timberlake, 5-star small forward, DeMatha Catholic (MD)
This has been SHUs top target all along and they will host Earl and his family on September 27th for a weekend official visit. Tony Skinn is extremely tight with the entire family and out of all the programs and coaches recruiting him, has the best relationship. So, that is what is going right for Seton Hall.
What is going against Seton Hall? Well, Timberlake wants to major in Sports Medicine, which is not a program Seton Hall offers. However, they do offer a five year program where the student undergrads in Biology and then does a graduate degree in Athletic Training. SHU will sell him on that program and the long-term value it creates, but this is the thing working against them.
What have I heard recently? That SHU is in a very good spot here heading into the visit. SHUs goal is to get him to commit during the visit, although he may insist on taking his final official visit to UNC a couple of weeks later. Either way, Timberlake is committing and signing in the fall signing period and the SHU staff is optimistic of their chances.
Matthew Alexander Moncrieffe, 4-star small forward, Orangeville Prep (Canada)
SHUs number two guy at the wing spot is an immensely talented 6-foot-7 wing from Canada who is ranked #53 in the country by 247 Sports. Moncrieffe is long and athletic, an elite defender, and a slasher on the offensive end who impacts the game on both sides of the floor. Here is his 247 profile evaluation:
'A lanky, athletic, slashing small forward. Slippery on the drive with great body control. Can attack the basket with either hand and finishes well with either hand. Jump shot can keep defenses honest. Can also find teammates while on the move. Great potential defensively and as a rebounder. Multi-positional defender who can make plays with his activity. Expect to hear his name called in the second round of the NBA draft.'
What is working for Seton Hall? Well for starters he is high school teammates and best friends with SHU freshman small forward Tyrese Samuel. Second, he has a tremendous relationship with Duane Woodward, who landed Samuel and is very close with the staff up at Orangeville Prep.
What is working against Seton Hall? It is hard to say as Matthew doesn’t talk to the media much and I don’t have many Canadian sources. A source close to Seton Hall said they are very comfortable with where things stand with Moncrieffe. The biggest concern with him is that he has a huge high school season and explodes into a national level recruiting profile if he does decide to not sign in the fall signing period.
Kadary Richmond, 4-star small forward, Brewster Academy (NH)
The 3/4 star 6-foot-5 small forward from New York is a gifted scorer who has exploded onto the national scene in the past couple months. He had narrowed his list to four (Connecticut, Oregon, Seton Hall and St. Johns) but then announced that he was opening things back up again.
What is working for Seton Hall? His relationship with Duane Woodward, Kevin Willard and a few of the current Seton Hall players.
What is working against Seton Hall? He reopened his recruitment and is likely to blow up this fall.
Ultimately, I don’t see Richmond ending up at Seton Hall, regardless of what happens with SHUs top two targets at the wing position.
Elijah Taylor, 3-star power forward, Imhotep Institute (PA)
The most baffling under-ranked player in the country, Taylor is an elite power forward who dominates on both sides of the floor and on the glass. At 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, Taylor is strong, athletic, has an elite motor, and is a very polished big man who is ready to contribute from day one.
What is working for Seton Hall? He has a great relationship with the entire staff and is being sold on being the next Angel Delgado. Also, he is not a kid who seeks much attention and he had a tremendous official visit to South Orange a couple of weeks ago.
What is working against Seton Hall? He takes academics very seriously and if Notre Dame pushes him during his OV this weekend, they will likely land him.
For SHU, the best scenario is that Taylor either has a bad OV to Notre Dame causing him to give second thoughts or Notre Dame decides to hold on for some higher rated targets they are after. If that is the case, SHU is best positioned out of his remaining six schools (Notre Dame, Seton Hall, Florida, Pittsburgh, VCU and Providence) to land the talented power forward.
Eddie Lampkin, 3-star center, Morton Ranch (TX)
The 6-foot-10, 295 pound center is a big time talent who was finally healthy this summer and dominated. SHU is in his final list with TCU, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Western Kentucky. To date, he has not scheduled an OV to SHU and will take on to Texas A&M on October 11th.
What is working for Seton Hall? His relationship with Tony Skinn is strong and SHU is the only non-southern school, so if he decides to leave the South, SHU will land him.
What is working against Seton Hall? As of now, he is leaning towards staying in the south and has not scheduled an OV to SHU.
For SHU, they need to convince Lampkin to take an OV and then hope that NYC and that experience convince him to leave the south. If not, he is likely A&M or TCU bound. Luckily, his OV to A&M is not until October 11th, so they still have plenty of time to get him up to South Orange, but as of now, it will be a tough get.
Donte Houston, 3-star power forward, Lakeview Centennial (TX)
Houston is very similar to Elijah Taylor but a bit less polished offensively. At 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, Houston is a bruiser and a very good defender and rebounder.
What is working for Seton Hall? They are the high major that has been recruiting him the longest, he has an awesome relationship with Tony Skinn, and he is being sold on playing the Angel Delgado role.
What could work against Seton Hall? He could blow up this fall so if he insists in taking his time, you could see the big boys in Texas get involved.
If I was Seton Hall, I would work to get Houston on an OV sometime in the next couple of weeks, and then see where things stand with Elijah Taylor. If they don’t feel good about Taylor, I would push Houston for a commitment as he is a very talented consolation prize to losing Taylor.
Akeem Odisupe, 3-star center, Knoxville Christian School (TN)
This is another Tony Skinn recruit and despite his 3-star ranking, he is a much better player than that, which his offer list shows, as West Virginia, Maryland, Kansas State and Auburn are all after the talented big man.
What is working for Seton Hall? Tony Skinn has a good relationship with both Akeem and his high school coach.
What is working against Seton Hall? Well one, they haven’t formally offered Akeem yet. And two, Akeem is likely to stay in the south and some other high majors have prioritized him earlier than the Pirates.
Right now he seems to be a backup target for SHU but it will be interesting to see if anything develops here.
Keondre Montgomery, 3-star small forward, Forest Hill (MS)
The 3/4 star small forward from Mississippi continues to be on the back burner for Seton Hall but not much has been written about his recruitment since naming his final five that included Seton Hall. I can’t provide much of an update here. As a player, Montgomery is a long and athletic wing with a great ability to score the basketball. He needs to add muscle and also grow as a defender, but offensively, he is gifted.
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
COMMENTS
PirateCrew.com Recruiting Analyst
Updating the State of Seton Hall’s 2020 Recruiting Efforts
With the Fall Signing Period rapidly approaching, it is a good time to give a comprehensive look at what is left for Seton Hall in the Class of 2020. In this article, I will update where things stand with each Seton Hall target, where I think they should be ranked versus their current rankings, and how Seton Hall is faring in each recruitment.
By the way, I could not get a name, but I was told SHU was also after another talented big man that they have not been mentioned with publicly yet, but that is all I have.
Earl Timberlake, 5-star small forward, DeMatha Catholic (MD)
This has been SHUs top target all along and they will host Earl and his family on September 27th for a weekend official visit. Tony Skinn is extremely tight with the entire family and out of all the programs and coaches recruiting him, has the best relationship. So, that is what is going right for Seton Hall.
What is going against Seton Hall? Well, Timberlake wants to major in Sports Medicine, which is not a program Seton Hall offers. However, they do offer a five year program where the student undergrads in Biology and then does a graduate degree in Athletic Training. SHU will sell him on that program and the long-term value it creates, but this is the thing working against them.
What have I heard recently? That SHU is in a very good spot here heading into the visit. SHUs goal is to get him to commit during the visit, although he may insist on taking his final official visit to UNC a couple of weeks later. Either way, Timberlake is committing and signing in the fall signing period and the SHU staff is optimistic of their chances.
Matthew Alexander Moncrieffe, 4-star small forward, Orangeville Prep (Canada)
SHUs number two guy at the wing spot is an immensely talented 6-foot-7 wing from Canada who is ranked #53 in the country by 247 Sports. Moncrieffe is long and athletic, an elite defender, and a slasher on the offensive end who impacts the game on both sides of the floor. Here is his 247 profile evaluation:
'A lanky, athletic, slashing small forward. Slippery on the drive with great body control. Can attack the basket with either hand and finishes well with either hand. Jump shot can keep defenses honest. Can also find teammates while on the move. Great potential defensively and as a rebounder. Multi-positional defender who can make plays with his activity. Expect to hear his name called in the second round of the NBA draft.'
What is working for Seton Hall? Well for starters he is high school teammates and best friends with SHU freshman small forward Tyrese Samuel. Second, he has a tremendous relationship with Duane Woodward, who landed Samuel and is very close with the staff up at Orangeville Prep.
What is working against Seton Hall? It is hard to say as Matthew doesn’t talk to the media much and I don’t have many Canadian sources. A source close to Seton Hall said they are very comfortable with where things stand with Moncrieffe. The biggest concern with him is that he has a huge high school season and explodes into a national level recruiting profile if he does decide to not sign in the fall signing period.
Kadary Richmond, 4-star small forward, Brewster Academy (NH)
The 3/4 star 6-foot-5 small forward from New York is a gifted scorer who has exploded onto the national scene in the past couple months. He had narrowed his list to four (Connecticut, Oregon, Seton Hall and St. Johns) but then announced that he was opening things back up again.
What is working for Seton Hall? His relationship with Duane Woodward, Kevin Willard and a few of the current Seton Hall players.
What is working against Seton Hall? He reopened his recruitment and is likely to blow up this fall.
Ultimately, I don’t see Richmond ending up at Seton Hall, regardless of what happens with SHUs top two targets at the wing position.
Elijah Taylor, 3-star power forward, Imhotep Institute (PA)
The most baffling under-ranked player in the country, Taylor is an elite power forward who dominates on both sides of the floor and on the glass. At 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, Taylor is strong, athletic, has an elite motor, and is a very polished big man who is ready to contribute from day one.
What is working for Seton Hall? He has a great relationship with the entire staff and is being sold on being the next Angel Delgado. Also, he is not a kid who seeks much attention and he had a tremendous official visit to South Orange a couple of weeks ago.
What is working against Seton Hall? He takes academics very seriously and if Notre Dame pushes him during his OV this weekend, they will likely land him.
For SHU, the best scenario is that Taylor either has a bad OV to Notre Dame causing him to give second thoughts or Notre Dame decides to hold on for some higher rated targets they are after. If that is the case, SHU is best positioned out of his remaining six schools (Notre Dame, Seton Hall, Florida, Pittsburgh, VCU and Providence) to land the talented power forward.
Eddie Lampkin, 3-star center, Morton Ranch (TX)
The 6-foot-10, 295 pound center is a big time talent who was finally healthy this summer and dominated. SHU is in his final list with TCU, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Western Kentucky. To date, he has not scheduled an OV to SHU and will take on to Texas A&M on October 11th.
What is working for Seton Hall? His relationship with Tony Skinn is strong and SHU is the only non-southern school, so if he decides to leave the South, SHU will land him.
What is working against Seton Hall? As of now, he is leaning towards staying in the south and has not scheduled an OV to SHU.
For SHU, they need to convince Lampkin to take an OV and then hope that NYC and that experience convince him to leave the south. If not, he is likely A&M or TCU bound. Luckily, his OV to A&M is not until October 11th, so they still have plenty of time to get him up to South Orange, but as of now, it will be a tough get.
Donte Houston, 3-star power forward, Lakeview Centennial (TX)
Houston is very similar to Elijah Taylor but a bit less polished offensively. At 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, Houston is a bruiser and a very good defender and rebounder.
What is working for Seton Hall? They are the high major that has been recruiting him the longest, he has an awesome relationship with Tony Skinn, and he is being sold on playing the Angel Delgado role.
What could work against Seton Hall? He could blow up this fall so if he insists in taking his time, you could see the big boys in Texas get involved.
If I was Seton Hall, I would work to get Houston on an OV sometime in the next couple of weeks, and then see where things stand with Elijah Taylor. If they don’t feel good about Taylor, I would push Houston for a commitment as he is a very talented consolation prize to losing Taylor.
Akeem Odisupe, 3-star center, Knoxville Christian School (TN)
This is another Tony Skinn recruit and despite his 3-star ranking, he is a much better player than that, which his offer list shows, as West Virginia, Maryland, Kansas State and Auburn are all after the talented big man.
What is working for Seton Hall? Tony Skinn has a good relationship with both Akeem and his high school coach.
What is working against Seton Hall? Well one, they haven’t formally offered Akeem yet. And two, Akeem is likely to stay in the south and some other high majors have prioritized him earlier than the Pirates.
Right now he seems to be a backup target for SHU but it will be interesting to see if anything develops here.
Keondre Montgomery, 3-star small forward, Forest Hill (MS)
The 3/4 star small forward from Mississippi continues to be on the back burner for Seton Hall but not much has been written about his recruitment since naming his final five that included Seton Hall. I can’t provide much of an update here. As a player, Montgomery is a long and athletic wing with a great ability to score the basketball. He needs to add muscle and also grow as a defender, but offensively, he is gifted.
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
COMMENTS
