How about Kasongo?

[Fishn'Aztec]

blogs.seattletimes.com/huskymensbasketball/2014/08/01/morning-links-oregon-loses-another-player/


Following a turbulent summer in which three players – Dominic Artis, Damyean Dotson and Brandon Austin, were dismissed from the team following a sexual assault investigation, the Ducks lost another player this week – incoming freshman signee Ray Kasongo.

According to ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman, the 6-9 and 235-pound forward/center has been denied admission in the school is now looking to play elsewhere.

Kasongo had been a member of Oregon’s seven-player 2015 recruiting class.

Is he too high profile for The AZTECS to make a run at him??

[standiego]

Believe he is a 2014 recruit looking at CAL , Florida , Memphis for a scholarship - we do not have a scholarship for 2014

[kozy]

Aug 1, 2014 8:18:10 GMT -8 standiego said:

Believe he is a 2014 recruit looking at CAL , Florida , Memphis for a scholarship - we do not have a scholarship for 2014

LEt me get this straight. He is denied admission to Oregon so now he is looking at CAL. Can we stop that train before it leaves the station.

Florida and Memphis are both options if he has fulfilled all his core courses.

As an aside, that Oregon program looks like a mess. Speak about being a thin ice and the sun hasn't hit its apex. What's that I hear? Its the ice cracking in Duckland

[Gundo]

That program is a train wreck, however, it's easy enough for Oregon turn it around given all the PAC12 and Nike money pouring into the program. It looks like time for a coaching change.

[sdcoug]

Aug 1, 2014 12:08:49 GMT -8 kozy said:

Aug 1, 2014 8:18:10 GMT -8 standiego said:

Believe he is a 2014 recruit looking at CAL , Florida , Memphis for a scholarship - we do not have a scholarship for 2014

LEt me get this straight. He is denied admission to Oregon so now he is looking at CAL. Can we stop that train before it leaves the station.

Florida and Memphis are both options if he has fulfilled all his core courses.

As an aside, that Oregon program looks like a mess. Speak about being a thin ice and the sun hasn't hit its apex. What's that I hear? Its the ice cracking in Duckland

Agree with you on Cal - they've lost SEVERAL players to other P12 schools due to a higher admissions standard so can't see them being a fallback for someone rejected from Whoregon. Sometimes it's something funky (e.g. 2 yrs foreign language vs. 1 at another school), but typically Cal is tougher. I'd be curious to see if he looks at OSU down the road, although I doubt it. 

[sdcoug]

Aug 2, 2014 12:15:01 GMT -8 Gundo said:

That program is a train wreck, however, it's easy enough for Oregon turn it around given all the PAC12 and Nike money pouring into the program. It looks like time for a coaching change.

Can't see that happening. As much money as they have I can't see them eating $9MM (5 years x $1.8MM) & he's been successful there, up until this whole rape thing. That said, I think he set himself up for this - he's a coach that's got to where they are by living off transfers & risky players, so to see a collapse isn't unexpected. 

Do agree with others though - Oregon's the type of program that can turn it around very quickly given their history, facilities & MONEY. 

[Gundo]

Aug 2, 2014 12:32:10 GMT -8 sdcoug said:

Aug 2, 2014 12:15:01 GMT -8 Gundo said:

That program is a train wreck, however, it's easy enough for Oregon turn it around given all the PAC12 and Nike money pouring into the program. It looks like time for a coaching change.

Can't see that happening. As much money as they have I can't see them eating $9MM (5 years x $1.8MM) & he's been successful there, up until this whole rape thing. That said, I think he set himself up for this - he's a coach that's got to where they are by living off transfers & risky players, so to see a collapse isn't unexpected. 

Do agree with others though - Oregon's the type of program that can turn it around very quickly given their history, facilities & MONEY. 

I think Dana Altman is under some scrutiny from the alumni and faculty, his teams have done well since he came from Crieghton but they are down to 7 scholarship players and they have had questionable quality players. He will attract transfers and Juco players to shore up his roster. But I think this year is gonna be his toughest year yet.

[sdcoug]

Aug 2, 2014 15:30:53 GMT -8 Gundo said:

Aug 2, 2014 12:32:10 GMT -8 sdcoug said:

Can't see that happening. As much money as they have I can't see them eating $9MM (5 years x $1.8MM) & he's been successful there, up until this whole rape thing. That said, I think he set himself up for this - he's a coach that's got to where they are by living off transfers & risky players, so to see a collapse isn't unexpected. 

Do agree with others though - Oregon's the type of program that can turn it around very quickly given their history, facilities & MONEY. 

I think Dana Ltman is under some scrutiny from the alumni and faculty, his teams have done well since he came from Crieghton but they are down to 7 scholarship players and they have had questionable quality players. He will attract transfers and Juco players to sure up his roster. But I think this year is gonna be his toughest year yet.

Agree he's under scrutiny, as many if not most are, but don't think he's anywhere near the hot seat. Agree THIS will be a tough year - his only tough year thus far, and would think the '16 season he'd be more on the hot seat. A key for him will be whether their other stud recruit gets in. If he doesn't his top 20 recruiting class will have dropped off the map. He's INCREDIBLY lucky Young didn't go pro early.

One thing in his favor is this isn't a great year for the P12. Most teams have taken a step backwards. He may be able to pull out a few conference wins. 

Amazing how quickly a coach can go from being praised to ridiculed. 

[standiego]

Kasongo is now looking at Kansas , Memphis , and CAL

[drshotblock]

Zona is gonna wack the Pac again this year. Stanley Johnson is super nasty.

[standiego]

USC recruit Jabari Craig PF did not qualify will have to go to a JC . CAL did get verbal for 2016 top 100- Oscar Frayer
Agree Arizona has a great team , we could play them in Maui ? plus they are doing a great job of recruiting for 2015

[AztecBill]

Failing to gain admission is very convenient for a player that wants to leave a program. With all the problems that Oregon has had maybe the coach didn't want to fight a recruit about being released. He may want to leave because Bill Self of Kansas is up to his old tricks. Expect a quick enrollment at Kansas.

[drshotblock]

Aug 5, 2014 15:27:17 GMT -8 standiego said:

USC recruit Jabari Craig PF did not qualify will have to go to a JC . CAL did get verbal for 2016 top 100- Oscar Frayer
Agree Arizona has a great team , we could play them in Maui ? plus they are doing a great job of recruiting for 2015

I really wanna beat them. It has been painful to lose to them three times in a row. We had their number for a while, but not lately.

This is their probable lineup next year:

1) TJ McConnel (the same excellent classic PG from last year)
2) Stanley Johnson (one and done guy with insane scoring ability)
3) Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (freak athlete, rebound and dunk machine)
4) Brandon Ashley (good scoring PF that got hurt late in the season last year)
5) Kaleb Tarczewski (classic back to the basket seven foot center)

I like our chances, but that is a tough, tough lineup. Very balanced with plenty of talent on the bench. Getting top 5 pre-season rankings. The good news is that they lost Gordon and Nick Johnson, who were largely responsible for beating us recently. But the re-loads are just as good. The other good news is that we'll be just as athletic, and bigger at some spots, and also probably deeper. But I worry about our scoring. Thoughts?

[Fishn'Aztec]

Getting off track here if you want to talk about the zonies create a thread & let the Kasongo thread wither away!

[drshotblock]

sorry!

[Gundo]

Kansas, Cal and Memphis in the mix for former Oregon commit. If the kid can't make the academic standards of Oregon, how the hell can he get into Berkeley?

[Gundo]

Cal, Kansas and Memphis failed to become options, LSU bounced him. He couldn't get into IU and now is approaching Michigan State for admission. If we can't make the grades at places like, Memphis, Oregon or LSU how can he be accepted at Michigan State? This guy sounds like he should go to school at a JuCo. BTW school starts this week. Its a little late! If he goes to Michigan State, it becomes a sad day for B1G academics.

[Gundo]

NBC SPorts reports:

The long and strange journey in the recruitment of Ray Kasongo appears to finally be over as the Class of 2014 forward is reportedly heading to the College of Southern Idaho, according to Joshua Parrott of the Basketball Times.

The 6-foot-9 Canadian forward was originally slated to go to Oregon but was denied admission from the school in July before he was linked to schools like Kansas, LSU, Cal, Memphis, Indiana and Michigan State.

SNY.tv‘s Adam Zagoria confirmed with College of Southern Idaho head coach Jared Phay that Kasongo is heading to the school.

“He did,” Phay told Zagoria by text Saturday morning. “He is on a plane to our campus as we speak. He is enrolled in classes and we start Monday. He is a great kid and we are excited to have him here.”

So we finally have a destination for Kasongo after weeks of reported visits and speculation. Although he isn’t heading to a Division I program this season, the College of Southern Idaho has produced a lot of high-level Division I players the last few years and Kasongo could be an intriguing junior college recruit in the near future.

[Gundo]

At least we can keep an eye out for him and have 4 scholarships available in 2016.

[Gundo]

After not gaining enterance at Oregon, the kid played one year of JuCo in Idaho and just signed with Tennessee. At 6'10 he has 3 years left to play.  Many had him picked to go to UNLV. 

zagsblog.com/recruiting/ray-kasongo-to-tennessee/