Does Nate Rakestraw.......

[pimphog]

have the potential of being a "Lee Humphreys" .......but for Arkansas?

Do you all remember that him?....he was that awesome white shooting guard for Florida......

there aren't a lot of people too pumped about Nate's scholarship offer.........but if he can shoot and play like Lee Humphreys......then I have no problem at all.  Your thoughts?

[yraciv]

He has the potential! I've seen him on many occasions and he is a great shooter.  The guy needs to be more consistent, but he can shoot lights out.  I also am pretty confident the kid can shoot over 90% from the line.

[outlawhogeywells]

I just don't understand the offer,,,,,,you could have gotten this kid on the last signing day.......why not see what else you could have gotten before you offer this kid.....

We have a great shooter on the team now that is to slow to get his shot off.  So I hope this guy can get himself open or go around someone...

[Richard_white]

I just don't understand the offer,,,,,,you could have gotten this kid on the last signing day.......why not see what else you could have gotten before you offer this kid.....

We have a great shooter on the team now that is to slow to get his shot off.  So I hope this guy can get himself open or go around someone...

Exactly

I believe Stan recruited a guy named McCurdy.  He sat on the bench until a few games when we need a shot to win it or put it in overtime. 

Recruiting a good shooter is one thing but not playing him and letting him rot on the bench is another.

[werehog]

Did Stan recruit Nate Rakestraw for window dressing?

[pimphog]

He has the potential! I've seen him on many occasions and he is a great shooter.  The guy needs to be more consistent, but he can shoot lights out.  I also am pretty confident the kid can shoot over 90% from the line.

yraciv,

so you have seen this guy play before huh?.....do you think he can do this against an SEC defense?......does he get his shot off quick enough?.....i have never seen the guy play........

[werehog]

Not only is Lee Humphries a very good spot up shooter, he is a very strong defender. We will see.

[pimphog]

he is definitely a good defender.....i remember watching his defense....he is coming back next year right?

[Arazorbackguy1]

I just don't understand the offer,,,,,,you could have gotten this kid on the last signing day.......why not see what else you could have gotten before you offer this kid.....

We have a great shooter on the team now that is to slow to get his shot off.  So I hope this guy can get himself open or go around someone...

You guys amaze me with your comments.   You are probably the same guys that got all over HDN for not offering Pinalto before Texas did.  If some other big name school came in and offered you would be all over Stan for not offering sooner...  get off his back for a moment!

[Pignominious]

I just don't understand the offer,,,,,,you could have gotten this kid on the last signing day.......why not see what else you could have gotten before you offer this kid.....

We have a great shooter on the team now that is to slow to get his shot off.  So I hope this guy can get himself open or go around someone...

You guys amaze me with your comments.   You are probably the same guys that got all over HDN for not offering Pinalto before Texas did.  If some other big name school came in and offered you would be all over Stan for not offering sooner...  get off his back for a moment!

That's a good point.

[werehog]

We have precious few scholarships for basketball. We shouldn't waste them.

[mccurdy]

waste them on a shooter yea we dont need them

[Hollywood_HOGan]

waste them on a shooter yea we dont need them

Yeah who needs a player who has the ability to drain the three?

People have been complaining that Stan doesnt recruit shooters. Now we get one and we dont need him.

Go figure

[three]

He has the potential! I've seen him on many occasions and he is a great shooter.  The guy needs to be more consistent, but he can shoot lights out.  I also am pretty confident the kid can shoot over 90% from the line.

yraciv,

so you have seen this guy play before huh?.....do you think he can do this against an SEC defense?......does he get his shot off quick enough?.....i have never seen the guy play........

Nate's a solid shooter on a brand new team in Northwest Arkansas.  As good as Northwest Arkansas may be at creating football talent, it's just as bad at creating basketball talent.  There's not a real D1 player in this area.  I know, because I've seen every single 5a and 4a school play over the last two years.  Rakestraw may be sort of like a Blake Eddins.  I've seen glimpses from him that make me believe he'll be a pretty solid shooter by his junior or senior season.  But he's a 3 year SEC project. 

The advantage, the kid's 6-3, 6-4, he can at least spot up on the wing and shoot over a SG or PG in those 2-3 zones teams throw at us.  But, unfortunately, I don't believe he can create his own shot in the SEC, and I don't believe Stan is creative enough to draw up plays to get him a good look.

I like the kid, a hard worker, not a great defender, but he does play defense and a lot of high school kids don't, so he could easily learn, and I think he's willing to.  That said, several coaches who have coached against him say the best player in the 5A west is Michael Sanchez (6-7 forward for Har Ber), and he's a mid-major type player at best.  When mroe than one coach says that about players they coach against, I tend to believe them.

[BRC0180]

true we need guys who can shoot the ball.

But can he get it off?  Can he create a shot with someone on him?  And can you get him on the floor to shoot long enough without his man going by him?

For a team to have 2 high D1 players, Har-Ber had to win 2 games the last week of their season to finish 4th in their own conference.  1 and done in the state tourney.  A conference that did not send one team to the semis.  Do some research here.  Is he/sanchez D1 = definitely.  Are they SEC = Sonny Weems team won the JUCO National Championship and he has questions to answer.  These guys came in 4th in the 5A West.

[werehog]

This what bothers me BRCO180 -- NWA high school basketball doesn't compare in quality to NEA hs ball and Har-Ber could only finish fourth in their own conference. Whoa! Somethink is wrong here. Rakestraw is no where to be seen on Scout's or Rival's best high school players radar.

[tophawg19]

we have 2 good shooters in cranford and munsey that never see the floor . is this kid that type player or is he better?

[werehog]

I thought Patrick Beverly is a combo guard with a great stroke. There is something to said for being able to get your own shot. I am not convinced that Rakestraw can do this.

[yraciv]

This what bothers me BRCO180 -- NWA high school basketball doesn't compare in quality to NEA hs ball and Har-Ber could only finish fourth in their own conference. Whoa! Somethink is wrong here. Rakestraw is no where to be seen on Scout's or Rival's best high school players radar.

hold up didn't fayetteville reach the state finals two years ago?  NWA Basketball is solid and is right up there with the NE.  Rogers had a great team, but the heart of their team got injured. Northside and Forrest city was a battle to the end.  I believe Har Ber lost a very close game and Fayetteville was upset.  It was a poor showing in the tournament, but don't talk about east superiority.  Give Rakestraw and Sanchez some credit as well they had 1 sr. on their team and were in the schools first year of existence.

[werehog]

When I lived in Paragould and the large school classifications were AA and AAA, Jonesboro, West Memphis, Helena Central, Leachville, Forrest City (the Donnie Kessinger team) and Paragould won consecutive titles. Ken and Dick Hatfield played on the state championship Helena team. Paragould, which never had much of a team until it hired Doy Pannell, managed to beat North Little Rock for the 1964 state title. Fort Smith always had strong teams and Little Rock Central and later Hall had some good teams, but in those days the rest of the state really sucked. Paragould had a tougher time beating Jonesboro in the regional than it did North LR. When I was a senior, Monette whomped LR Central by more than 20 points. Monette and Leachville merged school district and as Buffalo Island Central won another state title in its class.