So with a second recruiting class in the books (the first with a full time period available for getting to know and evaluate prospects), what can be ascertained about Coach Wojcik's prowess for bringing in talent?
First off, what must be mentioned is the difference in coaching staffs from Wojcik's initial season to this one as two assistants departed after year one.
It was Chris Brazelton, Jack Kennedy and Omar Lowery last season and is currently Chris Brazelton, Mike Lepore and Tyler Ojanen
Yet a case can be made (although obviously not fully played out as yet) that the first group of signees brought in as Spartans is the more talented bunch. But time will eventually tell.
But seemingly contradictory is that it appears that the present group of assistants are a stronger crew vis-a-vis recruiting due to greater contacts and coming from higher levels. Lepore is a middle America guy due to his time in St. Louis and Ojanen had a solid run at St. Mary's.
So let's look at the two recruiting classes.
Last year's class:
* Jordan Baker
* Jalen James
* Rashad Muhammad
* Brandon Mitchell
* Matt Pollard
* Frank Rogers
* Isaac Thornton
* Devante Wilson
Dylan Alexander was a walk-on so he isn't being counted.
The top three are presently the keys. Baker (coming from Pepperdine) will be the best Spartan player this season but we want to see if Muhammad can add some dribble-drive to his offensive arsenal. James was up-and-down as a frosh (not surprising) but in his favor he didn't have a lot of offensive options to work with. These were three very solid additions.
Like Baker, Rogers redshirted (coming from USF) and his key will be how physical he is willing to play. Thornton showed prowess in a lot of areas -- count him as a darkhorse and here's hoping Matt Pollard develops some footwork and fluidity with his movement.
This year's group:
* Leon Bahner
* Darryl Gaynor II
* Princeton Onwas
* Ryan Singer
Danny Mahoney is a walk-on so he isn't being counted.
Granted, landing eight (versus four) recruits increases the odds of getting a bigger boost and someone emerging but none of these quartet of guys was being that heavily wooed. Getting two bigs was a necessary move but neither will help all that much right away. Gaynor has the best chance of providing something early while Onwas, apparently a strong defender, is sitting out due to his transfer from Utah.
As a side note, Jamuni McNeace (who went with Oklahoma) and Rokas Gustys (who went with Hofstra) were two centers certainly wanted by SJSU but each decided to play elsewhere. McNeace is probably a redshirt candidate in Norman due to his weight of 200 and so pounds and Gustys is strong beyond belief and willing to own the paint but needs greater facilitation with his movement. Right now, each looks more promising than who SJSU was able to land but, again, time will tell.
What we know
It is really beneficial for recruiting being in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) as Jalen James and Rashad Muhammad do not come to Washington Square if the Spartans still had residence in the Western Athletic Conference. Probably not Jordan Baker either.
Beating in-conference competitors for specific recruits -- not necessarily UNLV or San Diego State (just not going to happen) but rather Nevada, Fresno State and Utah State -- is critical.
It doesn't appear that the basketball fortunes of SJSU will be changed by the landing of a blue-chipper or someone close to that level. There just isn't any hoops history to cause an elite prospect to even consider coming to Silicon Valley.
What it looks like is a grow-up-together group that parlays experience into being a formidable unit is what the Spartans must achieve in order to be successful. That is something do-able.
The bigs brought in will continue to be major projects.
Even a look at the two future arriving commits offers indicators. 6-foot-7 2015 small forward Brandon Clarke is not going to light up the MWC as a frosh. The same for 2016 point Nai Carlisle (although he has two years to change that evaluation).
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