Ask the experts: Charleston chew

The College of Charleston pulled a surprise by getting a commitment from four-star Adjehi BaruClick Rivals.com basketball recruiting analysts Jerry Meyer and Eric Bossi weigh in on four current topics. Here to view this Link.. Can Bobby CreminsClick Rivals.com basketball recruiting analysts Jerry Meyer and Eric Bossi weigh in on four current topics. Here to view this Link. and staff continue making waves on the recruiting front, or is this a one-time deal?

Meyer: Because of his status, Cremins will always be able to recruit at a higher level at the College of Charleston than most other coaches would be able to do. Landing a top 30 prospect, however, is not going to be a regular occurrence. The bottom line is that Baru was part of a package deal with the son of his guardian. The College of Charleston doesn't get Baru if it doesn't sign Patrick Branin as well.

Bossi: I think that Cremins and his staff will always recruit pretty well. Cremins has the credentials and is building a very nice program with outstanding support at Charleston. However, unless it finds another guy who can be packaged with his legal guardian's son as Baru was, I wouldn't expect it to land Adjehi Baru-type prospects on a regular basis.

Meyer: Class of 2013 prospect Nick KingClick What is the No. 1 impression left with you after seeing the tournaments in Tennessee last weekend?Here to view this Link. of Memphis East made a strong impression on me. As a 6-foot-6 bouncy wing prospect, he reminded me very much of Tennessee wing Scotty HopsonClick What is the No. 1 impression left with you after seeing the tournaments in Tennessee last weekend?Here to view this Link. when he was a high school prospect. King gets to the rim and can also stroke it from outside, but what I really like about him is that he has a competitive fire and strong all-around game that surpasses what Hopson had going for him at the same stage. Entirely engaged in the game, King competed on the defensive end and on the boards as well as impacting the game with his offense.

Bossi: That there is a ton of talent in Memphis and the surrounding area. Even on the teams that don't get the headlines that a Melrose or White Station does, you will find players.

Meyer: It helps a basketball program to be teamed up with a popular football program. A popular football program means greater resources and better recruiting opportunities. Basketball programs such as FloridaClick Do you think being at a popular football school helps or hurts the basketball staff at that school in recruiting?Here to view this Link., TennesseeClick Do you think being at a popular football school helps or hurts the basketball staff at that school in recruiting?Here to view this Link. and TexasClick Do you think being at a popular football school helps or hurts the basketball staff at that school in recruiting?Here to view this Link., to name a few, have taken advantage of the publicity, facilities and positive energy that their football programs have gendered to help them recruit at a high level and create their own momentum.

Bossi: Personally, I don't think it really makes all that much difference in the grand scheme of things. Some kids can be scared off if they feel a place is a football school, or if a place has no support for the football team then a kid may worry about the support of the athletic teams in general. Mostly, I would just hope that I have a football team good enough for a nice gameday atmosphere to impress prospects in town on recruiting visits.

Meyer: The personality that concerns me is a prospect's personality on the court. And there isn't an on-court personality that impresses me more than Dominique PointerClick Who have you found to have the best personality among the 2011 prospects?Here to view this Link.'s. No prospect plays with more relentless energy and competes on every possession more than Pointer. He never counts on a teammate to make a play but is constantly pursuing the ball and throwing his body around the court. His impressive improvement over the past year speaks highly of his work ethic as well.

Bossi: Well, anybody who has watched the QTV episodes from One ENT (now BALLisLIFEeast) on the Internet knows that Quincy Miller is quite the character. His mouth is always moving and he's got a great sense of humor. He's fun to be around. I've always really liked the personality of Minnesota-bound Andre Hollins too. He's just a kid that "gets it" on several levels. I also like LeBryan Nash. Some people think that he's a bit surly, I think he's just a tough kid, who is fun to talk to and proud of where he comes from.

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