Iowa State has offered three freshman from the DFW area who play for Nike D1 Elite. They have been playing up a level in AAU ball this spring. Gerald Liddell is a small forward and Russell Barlow and Grayson Carter are two bigs (both are already 6'8" as 9th graders). That's five freshmen and one 8th grader offered in the last few days. I think it is smart, ESPN has us now ranked #3 in their too early poll for next year, a good time to get in with these young guys. Here's a small clip from a Rivals/Yahoo article earlier this month that mentions these kids.
Finally, we spent some time watching the D1 Shooters group from Texas. A team built entirely of class of 2018 kids, the D1 crew was playing up a level in the 16-and-under division. From an initial look, they look like a group with several players that we will be seeing more of down the road. A 6-foot-6 small forward, Gerald Liddell, is a skinny wing with a smooth-looking shooting stroke and solid floor game. Big man Russell Barlow plays with lots of energy and athleticism while face-up four man Tristan Green can do a variety of things out to 17 feet. We also liked the activity and skill level of big man Grayson Carter, who showed touch and excellent body control. Just an early look, but these guys look like they'll be watched heavily down in the Lone Star state.
Finally, we spent some time watching the D1 Shooters group from Texas. A team built entirely of class of 2018 kids, the D1 crew was playing up a level in the 16-and-under division. From an initial look, they look like a group with several players that we will be seeing more of down the road. A 6-foot-6 small forward, Gerald Liddell, is a skinny wing with a smooth-looking shooting stroke and solid floor game. Big man Russell Barlow plays with lots of energy and athleticism while face-up four man Tristan Green can do a variety of things out to 17 feet. We also liked the activity and skill level of big man Grayson Carter, who showed touch and excellent body control. Just an early look, but these guys look like they'll be watched heavily down in the Lone Star state.
