Big Time Recruits Choose State
The Michigan State men’s basketball team received a solid verbal commitment from Orchard Lake St. Mary’s point guard, Kalin Lucas. Lucas is rated as one of the top point guards in the class of 2007 and is considered to be the best one guard in the talent rich state of Michigan.
This is a huge commit for the Spartans. With the addition of Lucas, Coach Tom Izzo will have three legitimate point guards next year in Drew Neitzel and Travis Walton. Lucas will add athleticism, superb ball handling skills and an ability to dribble-drive penetrate.
Lucas’s commitment may set in motion other highly touted recruits from the state of Michigan to sign with MSU. The five star blue chip Redford Covenant phenom, Durrell Summers, is considered an early Spartan lean and the versatile and sensationally athletic Darquavis Tucker out of Saginaw Arthur Hill may pull the trigger and give an early verbal commitment as well.
Lucas, Tucker and Summers (if they all commit to State) have the potential to be the best backcourt in the history of Michigan State basketball. That’s a bold statement considering MSU has featured such backcourts as Magic Johnson and Greg Kelser, Steve Smith and Mark Montgomery, Eric Snow and Shawn Respert, Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson, Charlie Bell and Jason Richardson and now Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown.
This trio would solidify the Spartans as a national championship contender for many years.
In football news, the Spartans picked up another linebacker commitment, Josh Rouse. Rouse attended Newton Valley Forge military academy, where he played both quarterback and outside linebacker.
The 6’3’’, 210-pound Rouse has an amazing upside. He has excellent speed and can cover sideline to sideline.
MSU is starting to build a lot of depth at linebacker. Last year John L. and crew signed Andrew Hawken, Brandon Long and JUCO standout Stephen Juarez. This year, state has added Eric Gordon, Colin Neely, Jesse Cole and now Rouse.
MSU already had some solid linebackers, such as David Herron and Kaleb Thornhill. These new players add immediate depth and skill and a change in defensive schemes should be considered.
The Spartans under John L. Smith run a 4-2-5-shell defense with a “bandit.” I have said from the beginning that this defense cannot be successful in the Big Ten because the second level (the linebackers) is too porous. MSU has a major issue with lack of depth on the defensive line and allowing only two linebackers with the safety/linebacker “bandit” position to compensate for a poor defensive line puts State at a huge disadvantage because they give up too much size. Therefore, teams can nickel and dime them with the running game…which sets up the play action pass…which can lead to State changing coverages to avoid deep plays…which leads to a more successful running game.
John L. Smith should consider moving away from the 4-2-5-shell to a 3-4 defense. With the speed Rouse presents and current “bandit” SirDarean Adam’s ability to cover the field, MSU could really slow their opponents rushing attacks.
It has been a good day for Michigan State athletics. The basketball team received a huge verbal commit in Kalin Lucas and the football team has added Josh Rouse, a versatile linebacker with an enormous upside.
This is a huge commit for the Spartans. With the addition of Lucas, Coach Tom Izzo will have three legitimate point guards next year in Drew Neitzel and Travis Walton. Lucas will add athleticism, superb ball handling skills and an ability to dribble-drive penetrate.
Lucas’s commitment may set in motion other highly touted recruits from the state of Michigan to sign with MSU. The five star blue chip Redford Covenant phenom, Durrell Summers, is considered an early Spartan lean and the versatile and sensationally athletic Darquavis Tucker out of Saginaw Arthur Hill may pull the trigger and give an early verbal commitment as well.
Lucas, Tucker and Summers (if they all commit to State) have the potential to be the best backcourt in the history of Michigan State basketball. That’s a bold statement considering MSU has featured such backcourts as Magic Johnson and Greg Kelser, Steve Smith and Mark Montgomery, Eric Snow and Shawn Respert, Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson, Charlie Bell and Jason Richardson and now Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown.
This trio would solidify the Spartans as a national championship contender for many years.
In football news, the Spartans picked up another linebacker commitment, Josh Rouse. Rouse attended Newton Valley Forge military academy, where he played both quarterback and outside linebacker.
The 6’3’’, 210-pound Rouse has an amazing upside. He has excellent speed and can cover sideline to sideline.
MSU is starting to build a lot of depth at linebacker. Last year John L. and crew signed Andrew Hawken, Brandon Long and JUCO standout Stephen Juarez. This year, state has added Eric Gordon, Colin Neely, Jesse Cole and now Rouse.
MSU already had some solid linebackers, such as David Herron and Kaleb Thornhill. These new players add immediate depth and skill and a change in defensive schemes should be considered.
The Spartans under John L. Smith run a 4-2-5-shell defense with a “bandit.” I have said from the beginning that this defense cannot be successful in the Big Ten because the second level (the linebackers) is too porous. MSU has a major issue with lack of depth on the defensive line and allowing only two linebackers with the safety/linebacker “bandit” position to compensate for a poor defensive line puts State at a huge disadvantage because they give up too much size. Therefore, teams can nickel and dime them with the running game…which sets up the play action pass…which can lead to State changing coverages to avoid deep plays…which leads to a more successful running game.
John L. Smith should consider moving away from the 4-2-5-shell to a 3-4 defense. With the speed Rouse presents and current “bandit” SirDarean Adam’s ability to cover the field, MSU could really slow their opponents rushing attacks.
It has been a good day for Michigan State athletics. The basketball team received a huge verbal commit in Kalin Lucas and the football team has added Josh Rouse, a versatile linebacker with an enormous upside.
posted by az at 2:58 PM
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