Kasongo

[sbcmortgageman]

So once he leaves UT are we expecting him to announce his plans?

[Harrydawg]

He visited UT one day this past week.......supposedly he is at LSU now

[messageboardsuperhero]

Nobody will know what he's going to do until he signs.

[Thick]

It's a done deal....Kasonga to State.

[Saltydog]

nt

[sbcmortgageman]

I'm pretty sure he was on an official (48 hours) visit to UT this weekend and is only contemplating visiting LSU next weekend.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

I've heard nothing to change my opinion he'll be at MSU next year.

[Political Hack]

It's a done deal....Kasonga to State.

& there it is. Done.

[Harrydawg]

I agree Thick, I was told last week that he would come IF Malik did......

Should be a matter of time

[maroonmania]

I agree Thick, I was told last week that he would come IF Malik did......

Should be a matter of time

Hope that holds, just know that things can change quickly when a guy is still taking official visits and hearing sales pitches from other schools.

[smootness]

Yeah, if it was already done, he'd already be signed. I still feel confident but only because Ifyouonlyknew is.

[chef dixon]

The guy has a track record of ridiculous recruiting, so I'm not surprised its playing out like this. I still feel like we are probably the leader.

[maroonmania]

Isn't Kasongo from the West Coast and currently at an Idaho JC? Why does it seem all the interested schools are in the SEC? Just curious.

[Dallas_Dawg]

So Kasongo, Newman, Weatherspoon and Strugg. Is this going to be the only four new guys coming in? Not that this isn't a great class, just curious if we are looking to add anyone else

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Isn't Kasongo from the West Coast and currently at an Idaho JC? Why does it seem all the interested schools are in the SEC? Just curious.

He's from Canada but went to high school in Kentucky.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

So Kasongo, Newman, Weatherspoon and Strugg. Is this going to be the only four new guys coming in? Not that this isn't a great class, just curious if we are looking to add anyone else

As of right now yes that would be the class. If any transfer were interested of course we'd do our due diligence.

[msstate7]

Isn't Kasongo from the West Coast and currently at an Idaho JC? Why does it seem all the interested schools are in the SEC? Just curious.

Ucla and Oregon recruited him out of HS. It is weird that no pac 12 schools are after him now.

[Ralph]

Ucla and Oregon recruited him out of HS. It is weird that no pac 12 schools are after him now.

Think I read he committed to Oregon but couldn't meet their academic requirements despite meeting ncaa academic requirements.

[Johnson85]

Think I read he committed to Oregon but couldn't meet their academic requirements despite meeting ncaa academic requirements.

He was technically an international student and supposedly Oregon had additional require,nets he couldn't meet bc of that.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Should be hearing good news in the next day or 2.

[DistrictDawg92]

Kasongo has consistently been all over the place with his recruitment. In high school he got offers from Zona and UCLA, then officially visited UCONN, a week after that he officially visited Oregon and committed to Oregon following that visit, then the very next day he decommitted from Oregon only to recommit to Oregon three weeks later. No one can guess what this guy is gonna do and i'm not gonna get excited about him until he has signed with us.

[messageboardsuperhero]

Kasongo has consistently been all over the place with his recruitment. In high school he got offers from Zona and UCLA, then officially visited UCONN, a week after that he officially visited Oregon and committed to Oregon following that visit, then the very next day he decommitted from Oregon only to recommit to Oregon three weeks later. No one can guess what this guy is gonna do and i'm not gonna get excited about him until he has signed with us.

Yep. Not to mention he signed with a JUCO and on his way campus, he left the airport and didn't even show up until a week later.

We were expecting good news after his visit with us- only to find out two days later he was visiting UT. Wake me up when he signs somewhere. I do hope we get him though.

[maroonmania]

Bump for any update.

[engie]

expected to MSU today or tomorrow I believe...

[BeardoMSU]

expected to MSU today or tomorrow I believe...

As in committing or visiting again?

[engie]

As in committing or visiting again?

signing

[fishwater99]

As of right now yes that would be the class. If any transfer were interested of course we'd do our due diligence.

I heard a rumor of a Pitt player looking to transfer.

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/14/durand-johnson-will-transfer-from-pitt/

[yjnkdawg]

I heard a rumor of a Pitt player looking to transfer.

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/14/durand-johnson-will-transfer-from-pitt/



He would have only one year to play. Don't think he is currently on the staff's radar. Pitt has had several players to transfer.

[messageboardsuperhero]

If we miss on Kasongo, we'd probably go after a 4 who can defend the paint and get rebounds. Johnson is more of a 3.

That is if we even try and get anyone else if we miss on Kasongo.

[Harrydawg]

@sonnybairos: Ray Kasongo sweepstakes is down to Mississippi St & Tennessee according to his AAU coach. 6'9" 240 bruising power forward & shot blocker

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Good news coming.

[BeardoMSU]

Good news coming.

Awesome.

[BeardoMSU]

@sonnybairos: Ray Kasongo sweepstakes is down to Mississippi St & Tennessee according to his AAU coach. 6'9" 240 bruising power forward & shot blocker

No OM? Apparently AK can't convince anyone to come live in Oxford...lol

[Harrydawg]

This deal is as done as Malik was a week ago......

[yjnkdawg]

No OM? Apparently AK can't convince anyone to come live in Oxford...lol


AK needs to bring Marshall Henderson in as an assistant coach and "hep" em out. *********

[Dawg-gone-dawgs]

nm

[messageboardsuperhero]

Read the last two paragraphs of this story and find out why I won't consider Kasongo part of our team until he signs the dotted line... He's telling everyone what they want to hear. He's had plenty of opportunities to commit to us, but he still hasn't and is still planning on taking more visits.

http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2015/04/lsu_could_be_in_play_for_forme.html#incart_river

[Dawg-gone-dawgs]

If we miss on Kasongo, we'd probably go after a 4 who can defend the paint and get rebounds. Johnson is more of a 3.

That is if we even try and get anyone else if we miss on Kasongo..

[Ifyouonlyknew]

nm

Strugg is going to qualify.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Read the last two paragraphs of this story and find out why I won't consider Kasongo part of our team until he signs the dotted line... He's telling everyone what they want to hear. He's had plenty of opportunities to commit to us, but he still hasn't and is still planning on taking more visits.

http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2015/04/lsu_could_be_in_play_for_forme.html#incart_river

May be 1 & the same but Bender is telling everybody what they want to hear. Kasongo has told our coaches he's not taking anymore visits. Of course nothing is for certain until his name is on the dotted line but my opinion on Kasongo hasn't changed.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

.

I'd be very cautious of Jerreau. He's been injury prone his whole career going back to HS.

[Dawg-gone-dawgs]

I'd be very cautious of Jerreau. He's been injury prone his whole career going back to HS./

[smootness]

Bender makes me very uneasy.

[ScottH]

Bender makes me very uneasy.

No clue if we ultimately get Kasango.

However, I am completely confident we are now for once fully equipped to deal with all that college basketball recruiting entails.

[It_Could_Happen]

Cronin just tweeted she heard we were not getting him. Thoughts?

[Bothrops]

Howland will get another for the class, I don't have s doubt.

[Goat from MSU]

Don't need too we got a full 13 , now we do not have to cut anyone.
Howland will get another for the class, I don't have s doubt.

[Goat from MSU]

Look at his history ,we will be all right without him.
Cronin just tweeted she heard we were not getting him. Thoughts?

[Ifyouonlyknew]

It's TN.

[It_Could_Happen]

If you want to go play for Rick Barnes be my guest. The guy is as mediocre as it gets.

[msstate7]

Anyone else on the board?

[engie]

Lol, guess we should have seen this coming given his history. I guess a few here did...

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Sorry guys. I was wrong on this 1.

[messageboardsuperhero]

Oh well. I wish we could have gotten him, but I lost all confidence as soon as he got on the plane to Knoxville. He was clearly just telling us what we wanted to hear.

Now Black and Ndyoe better be ready to play. And Daniels and Zup better be ready to defend in the post.

[msstate7]

Looks like ndoye and Dunlap may have gotten a reprieve. Maybe they'll take advantage of it

[662dawg]

Sorry guys. I was wrong on this 1.

You are literally always right. What changed his mind at the last minute?

[messageboardsuperhero]

Sorry guys. I was wrong on this 1.

LOL, no need. I have no doubt he told our coaches he was coming. Your info was probably good- Kasongo is just extremely unpredictable.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

You are literally always right. What changed his mind at the last minute?

Wish I knew. The coaches were expecting him until the last few hours.

[msstate7]

Hey dawg61, who should we go get now? Haha

[Bothrops]

Still think we get another player.

[Thick]

Wow, I really thought we had him too.

[ShotgunDawg]

Tennessee seems to have a unique ability to come out of nowhere, at the last minute, to land players. Them and Auburn seem to have this ability

[quickstrike2]

What a strange recruitment this kid has put together. Oh well.

[Coach34]

Still think we get another player.

yeah- I'm not sure we are done yet

[jumbo]

I don't know what to make of anything with him anymore, but he's RT/Favoriting only MSU stuff on twitter right now

[vv83]

I don't know what to make of anything with him anymore, but he's RT/Favoriting only MSU stuff on twitter right now

Tweeted "Will be announcing in a few!! #staytuned" 45 min ago

[jumbo]

Tweeted "Will be announcing in a few!! #staytuned" 45 min ago


right, but if you look at what he has favorited, it's all MSU stuff and it's after he posted that

[Dawg61]

Hey dawg61, who should we go get now? Haha

Tookie Brown!! We will need another PG, Newman is one and done.

[jumbo]

Tookie Brown!! We will need another PG, Newman is one and done.


we'll get Lamar Peters for the 2016 class

[ShotgunDawg]

This is odd. You would think adding Newman would have really helped with this guy. Something smells fishy here

Welcome to modern college basketball & why the sport is dying.

[smootness]

right, but if you look at what he has favorited, it's all MSU stuff and it's after he posted that

Who in the heck knows with this kid. Seriously, it wouldn't surprise me if he leaked to everybody that he's going to Tennessee so that he has his shock moment when he picks State...and it wouldn't surprise me if he's favoriting State stuff to add suspense again after it leaked that he's picking Tennessee.

This is one weird guy with a very strange 'handler'. I wanted him and still do for his talent, but maybe we'll end up better off without him.

[Dawg-gone-dawgs]

I saw this...that is kind iroinc

[maroonmania]

Who in the heck knows with this kid. Seriously, it wouldn't surprise me if he leaked to everybody that he's going to Tennessee so that he has his shock moment when he picks State...and it wouldn't surprise me if he's favoriting State stuff to add suspense again after it leaked that he's picking Tennessee.

This is one weird guy with a very strange 'handler'. I wanted him and still do for his talent, but maybe we'll end up better off without him.

This is why I quit believing we would get him a week ago. ANYTIME a guy starts acting flaky in his recruitment and drags it out with additional visits (like he is looking for other "offers") it rarely goes well for us. And that pertains to football or basketball. As somebody said earlier, seemed to be telling everyone what they wanted to hear.

[ZedFedder]

Not terribly upset. Someone who treats recruiting like this rarely becomes a very good player. Any idea where we go now? Also, if we get Lamar Peters... That will end up being an absolute steal. He's about to rocket up the national radar.

[starkvegasdawg]

Who in the heck knows with this kid. Seriously, it wouldn't surprise me if he leaked to everybody that he's going to Tennessee so that he has his shock moment when he picks State...and it wouldn't surprise me if he's favoriting State stuff to add suspense again after it leaked that he's picking Tennessee.

This is one weird guy with a very strange 'handler'. I wanted him and still do for his talent, but maybe we'll end up better off without him.

He's throwing Parrish Alford off.

[32 Dive]

kasongo's recruitment, makes R. Sidney's recruitment, look almost conventional.

[msstate7]

kasongo's recruitment, makes R. Sidney's recruitment, look almost conventional.
Imagine how howland feels. He's recruited him twice

[yjnkdawg]

This whole recruitment for Kasongo has been weird and Bender seems to have been calling all the shots.

[messageboardsuperhero]

Kasongo commits to UT.

And thus ends one of the most bizarre recruitments in recent memory. As far as I knew, UT didn't even enter the picture until a week ago.

[whosyourdawgy]

Kasongo commits to UT.

And thus ends one of the most bizarre recruitments in recent memory. As far as I knew, UT didn't even enter the picture until a week ago.

Exactly. And he is going to play for Rick Barnes now who has done less with more talent than anyone in the country the last decade. Well except for Mack Brown

[ShotgunDawg]

Kasongo commits to UT.

And thus ends one of the most bizarre recruitments in recent memory. As far as I knew, UT didn't even enter the picture until a week ago.

Since Barnes just got there, I not sure how much you can read into that. I would be more interested to see if Texas was in the picture before Barnes left.

With that being said, I don't understand college basketball recruiting, but am grateful that at least we now have a coach that will recruit at a high enough level to educate me.

I understand college football recruiting and can pretty much tell you where a player is going, due to his circumstances, family history, & high school, but basketball recruiting is beyond me. I have no clue how this works.

[nsvltndog]

Scotty Hopson
Jason Croom
Rajon Neal
Kasongo

There are probably more, but these are the supposed MSU locked up recruits that I can recall signing with Tennessee in recent memory.

[maroonmania]

Ben Howland, welcome to the cutthroat world of recruiting in the SEC.

[NCDawg]

Scotty Hopson
Jason Croom
Rajon Neal
Kasongo

There are probably more, but these are the supposed MSU locked up recruits that I can recall signing with Tennessee in recent memory.

I remember a highly recruited RB out of Vicksburg back in the Sherrill era that we thought we had, but he signed with Tennessee. Can't remember his name. We were very disappointed when we didn't get him, but he never panned out anyway. Think he ended up transferring to Jackson State.

[Dawg61]

Scotty Hopson
Jason Croom
Rajon Neal
Kasongo

There are probably more, but these are the supposed MSU locked up recruits that I can recall signing with Tennessee in recent memory.

And we've gotten Tiano, Redmond, Jamont Gordon, Jarvis Varnado, Barry Stewart and many more from under their noses too. It's a two way street.

[Billy Ray Valentine]

That was Brian Darden from Vicksburg

[ShotgunDawg]

And we've gotten Tiano, Redmond, Jamont Gordon, Jarvis Varnado, Barry Stewart and many more from under their noses too. It's a two way street.

Other than Redmond, did they want any of the others?

Also, I wouldn't consider Memphis "under their noses". That's like saying LSU stole a coast kid from under MSU's noses.

[nsvltndog]

Pretty sure they weren't recruiting any of the others, or if they were they were never in a position where folks considered them destined to be a Vol. They recruited Redmond and certainly felt they deserved him just b/c they have 100,000 different shades of orange in Neyland every Saturday, but I thought we were considered front runners in that process.

[JohnnyQuid]

That was Brian Darden from Vicksburg

I remember him. I was in early hs. But it was "big" he ended up being not so big

[C222]

Ben Howland, welcome to the cutthroat world of recruiting in the SEC.

Please. Howland has been recruiting against the top dogs for years. This is nothing.

[yjnkdawg]

I thought Kosanga wanted to play with Malik, but guess that was the wrong info.

[Johnson85]

Please. Howland has been recruiting against the top dogs for years. This is nothing.

This is probably much less than he's used to dealing with. In football, the SEC may be the most aggressive in recruiting. But in basketball, the SEC is just another league.

[Saltydog]

to State". Until "I seen it" actually says it, I won't count my chickens before they hatch.

[engie]

And we've gotten Tiano, Redmond, Jamont Gordon, Jarvis Varnado, Barry Stewart and many more from under their noses too. It's a two way street.

Not to mention, Kasongo is a guy initially from Kentucky. Hardly "under our nose"...

But we've beaten them far more often than not in head to head recruiting battles of late. Go search for a MS kid on volnation's recruiting forum and see for yourself. They practically concede everyone out of MS, HS or JUCO, on the front end now. They aren't losing Tennessee players as often as they once did either, and are doing alot better in Memphis, so that is still a two way street as well.

[messageboardsuperhero]

Please. Howland has been recruiting against the top dogs for years. This is nothing.

Yep. Howland has been playing this game at a high level for a long time. We just got beat on this one- it happens sometimes.

[maroonmania]

Please. Howland has been recruiting against the top dogs for years. This is nothing.

Well, I just have an opinion that recruiting in the SEC can be much dirtier than in other parts of the country (football or basketball). Its not a matter of Howland not dealing with "top dogs" which he's done plenty. Just that I believe a lot more unethical things go on in recruiting in this part of the country than in the Northeast and Far West like where he has been before. That's is my perception and won't change, it you choose to believe it all goes on everywhere to the same degree that is certainly your perogative to believe that.