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Username Post: Tai Bibbs        (Topic#20202)
Chet Forte 
Postdoc
Posts: 2958

Reg: 03-02-08
04-01-17 03:45 PM - Post#228427    

Highly rated 6'3" PG from Chicago has just committed.


 
hoopsfan 
Masters Student
Posts: 642

Reg: 12-26-04
Re: Tai Bibbs
04-01-17 04:00 PM - Post#228428    
    In response to Chet Forte

Tai Bibbs, 6'3", 170, CG, West Chicago HS

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKTb44JqgRY

Last year Bibbs committed to Drake but re-opened his recruitment when their coach got fired mid-year. Columbia was one of his finalist then.

This year he averaged 26/4.7/2.4 and made 77 percent of 240 free throws. He also shot 38% from the 3, making 74. He has always been very athletic. This year he matured physically and also became a more consistent shooter.

He had 16 offers after reopening his recruitment, from the A-10, MAC, MVC, WAC, Conference USA, Big West and Big Sky, in addition to other Ivies.

Some additional information.

PrepHoopsIllinois 4th Team All State regardless of class.

AP Second Team All State 4A - The other guys on the AP All State 4A second team are going to Illinois, Indiana, Loyola and undecided.

http://basketball.dailyherald.com/article/20170302...

http://basketball.dailyherald.com/article/20170124...

Congratulations to the coaches as we continue to add athleticism.


 
Chet Forte 
Postdoc
Posts: 2958

Reg: 03-02-08
04-01-17 04:23 PM - Post#228429    
    In response to hoopsfan

All of a sudden the incoming class has gone from very good to outstanding. All we need is one more big man.


 
Columbia 37P6 
Postdoc
Posts: 2163

Reg: 02-14-06
04-01-17 11:36 PM - Post#228437    
    In response to Chet Forte

Fantastic pick up for the Columbia Lions!!!

 
cc66 
Postdoc
Posts: 2201

Reg: 10-09-09
Tai Bibbs
04-02-17 03:47 PM - Post#228451    
    In response to Columbia 37P6

This very good news, but if Smith is the PG, then the competition for SG among Hickman, Adlesh, Stefannini, and Bibbs is going to be pretty intense. There may just not be enough minutes available to keep everyone happy. Hence Engles is going to be challenged to manage the competition among the guards.

Also, while the upgrade in the quality of the recruits is great, our numbers up front are still a bit thin. To round out this class, let's hope there is another quality PF in the pipeline.


Edited by cc66 on 04-02-17 03:47 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

 
Dr. V 
PhD Student
Posts: 1536

Reg: 11-21-04
Tai Bibbs
04-02-17 05:24 PM - Post#228452    
    In response to cc66

You're right that there's a risk, but please remember that depth is really important. Princeton lost two starters and still had more than enough very good players to take the crown this year.

I suspect that in some situations a possible recruit may just be too good to pass up. Also, HIckman and Castlin will be seniors next year. After that, of course depending on who turns out to be ready for D1 how quickly, the next season may open the door for us to play Stefanini, Bibbs and Smith together, at least for certain stretches (of course, that will depend on how our bigs progress, but both Tape and Faulds are good rebounders and shot blockers). This is all sheer speculation, of course, but it's fun to contemplate different scenarios or, more specifically, to have the players with whom one can do so.

Edited by Dr. V on 04-02-17 05:26 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

 
SomeGuy 
Professor
Posts: 6391

Reg: 11-22-04
Re: Tai Bibbs
04-02-17 05:37 PM - Post#228453    
    In response to Dr. V

One of the advantages that the Ivies have against scholarship schools is that we can recruit more than 12 kids per 4 year cycle. We can't give scholarships, but we can treat more kids like recruited athletes. So we can get more bites at the apple, so to speak.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this is the first group that Engles is bringing in specifically with his system in mind. So, even if the talent level was staying the same, it stands to reason that the guys coming in next year will be better fits.

 
cc66 
Postdoc
Posts: 2201

Reg: 10-09-09
04-02-17 05:38 PM - Post#228454    
    In response to Dr. V

From Sun-Hoops

When the 2016-2017 season began college basketball coaching staffs weren’t expected to be all that busy making recruiting trips across the state.

But that changed dramatically as the season unfolded.

......

In addition, a pair of mid-major guards who signed with Drake in the fall –– West Chicago’s Tai Bibbs and Joliet West’s Teyvion Kirk –– were released in December following the resignation of Drake coach Ray Giacoletti. That set off a flurry of mid-major recruiting activity in the following weeks.


Here is the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s top half dozen uncommitted players in the senior class and where their recruiting stands with a little over a month left in the season.


2. Tai Bibbs, 6-3, 2G, West Chicago

Where he ranks in Class of 2017: No. 11

The buzz: After receiving his release from Drake a month ago, Bibbs instantly became a hot name. The smooth, high-scoring guard is in the midst of a monster senior season, averaging close to 28 points a game. Bibbs has grown, filled out and looks like a different player physically than he did this past summer.

While others have viewed Bibbs as a true point guard, the Hoops Report has valued him more as a player off the ball with his length and overlooked athleticism who can slide over and play the point guard position.

Where he can play: For all the offers and interest Bibbs has received, the City/Suburban Hoops Report actually believes he’s been under-recruited. Bibbs is a no-brainer, must-have mid-major prospect. He’s shown too much improvement and showcases too much upside not to be a prime target of Missouri Valley Conference schools and a must-have for others at that level.

The recruitment: The lengthy list of offers continues to grow. In the past three weeks Bibbs has secured offers from Lafayette, Ball State, IPFW, Toledo, Columbia, New Mexico State, UC-Davis, Fordham, Rice and Dartmouth.

 
Dr. V 
PhD Student
Posts: 1536

Reg: 11-21-04
Tai Bibbs
04-02-17 07:23 PM - Post#228457    
    In response to cc66

Thanks, that's very informative.

So at least based on end of season rankings, we have the 11th player in IL, one of the top ten in MN (Hanson is one of 10 seniors on the first, second and third all state teams), and one of the top ten in NJ (Stefanini was combined second team all state). Faulds was just HM on one MI all state team, but # 5 on one of the ratings services. The major state paper that chooses the most authoritative all state teams, the Detroit News, has not yet run its teams.

Edited by Dr. V on 04-02-17 07:31 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

 
cc66 
Postdoc
Posts: 2201

Reg: 10-09-09
04-02-17 08:02 PM - Post#228459    
    In response to Dr. V

Collectively, it is certainly the highest ranked class in the last 50 years. But then it will take four years to decipher whether it is actually the best ever.

NB: Although I don't know who spoke to whom in the recruiting process, it is probably not unjustified to direct some kudos to Coach Jean Bain. He is said to have played an important role in getting Boudreau to Dartmouth (yes, I know his mother's a trustee, or something, but still), and he seems to have a knack for getting highly regarded players to commit to the IL.

 
Chet Forte 
Postdoc
Posts: 2958

Reg: 03-02-08
04-03-17 09:01 AM - Post#228469    
    In response to cc66

Smith played a lot of minutes last year. He led the team in minutes by a good bit. In some games he played 36-38 minutes. Ideally, I would think that 32 is probably at the far end of effectiveness. I also have to wonder about the status of CJ Davis, who was a three star recruit but has not really lived up to his promise at PG. I don't see anybody other than CJ as a pure PG next year, although I may we'll be wrong about Bibbs and Stefanini. So it seems to me that we almost certainly will be a three guard team and against smaller opponents we may well see four guards on the floor at the same time.


 
Columbia 37P6 
Postdoc
Posts: 2163

Reg: 02-14-06
04-03-17 09:53 AM - Post#228472    
    In response to Chet Forte

Chet, I agree with you about Mike Smith, but why would you say that you don't see anybody other than CJ as a pure PG next year? Did you mean MS? In any event, this looks like an outstanding incoming class that Coach Engles and his staff has recruited, but I am not ready to label it as probably "our best ever" unless he adds another standout big man to team with Faulds.

 
Chet Forte 
Postdoc
Posts: 2958

Reg: 03-02-08
04-03-17 10:47 AM - Post#228474    
    In response to Columbia 37P6

Sorry for the confusion. I had meant to say that I do not see anybody other than CJ as a pure PG behind the obvious starter, Mike Smith, who is of course a pure PG.


 
cc66 
Postdoc
Posts: 2201

Reg: 10-09-09
04-03-17 11:04 AM - Post#228475    
    In response to Chet Forte

By best class, I mean that everyone except Flores--Faulds, Hanson, Stefannini, Brumant, and now Bibbs--has been recognized as All-State or All-Prep at some level. Sure, it would be nice to recruit a PF who was similarly labeled. But whether or not that happens, we've never had a cohort before that had anywhere near this degree of recognition.

 
cc66 
Postdoc
Posts: 2201

Reg: 10-09-09
04-03-17 11:54 AM - Post#228476    
    In response to cc66

http://www.news-gazette.com/sports/prep-sports/bo y...

Our pipeline to Illinois: as a junior in 2016, Tai Bibbs got honorable mention on the same All-State list where Mike Smith made first team.

 
Dr. V 
PhD Student
Posts: 1536

Reg: 11-21-04
04-03-17 01:16 PM - Post#228478    
    In response to cc66

Bibbs appears to be a classic example of a late bloomer. As a junior, he was 6'1" and averaged 13 ppg. As a senior, he grew to 6'3" and averaged 26 ppg. That's a huge jump in scoring.

 
cc66 
Postdoc
Posts: 2201

Reg: 10-09-09
04-03-17 01:49 PM - Post#228479    
    In response to Dr. V

And for comparison, considerably more than Mike Smith (19 ppg) averaged in his senior year,

 
nycivybball 
Pre-Frosh
Posts: 5

Reg: 12-16-16
04-03-17 04:35 PM - Post#228485    
    In response to cc66

Bibbs is a big get for the Lions. Seems to be a proven high level scorer that will add much needed athleticism on both ends of the floor.

 
nycivybball 
Pre-Frosh
Posts: 5

Reg: 12-16-16
04-03-17 04:37 PM - Post#228486    
    In response to cc66

Klores was named HM All-New York.

http://www.news12varsity.com/brooklyn-bronx/2017-a ...

 
Columbia 37P6 
Postdoc
Posts: 2163

Reg: 02-14-06
04-04-17 12:59 PM - Post#228520    
    In response to nycivybball

Coach Engles and his staff are having significant success recruiting high quality basketball players to Columbia without dipping into the junior college ranks which appears to be the case at Cornell. With the recruiting momentum growing It will be interesting to see if the coaching staff can obtain even at this late date a commitment for a talented power forward type who likes to mix it up under the basket. That's the missing piece in my opinion

 
hoopsfan 
Masters Student
Posts: 642

Reg: 12-26-04
04-04-17 07:12 PM - Post#228531    
    In response to Columbia 37P6

This site indicates that our 3 Midwest recruits - Faulds, Bibbs and Hanson - rank in the top 100 in the Midwest (Il, Mn, In, Mo, Oh, Wi, Ia, Ks, and Neb). It is obvious that at least in this class we are much more active in the Midwest than we have been in the past http://www.northernexposurepreps.com/blog/?page_id...

On the JUCO question, I think we should allow for (admittedly a minority) cohort of students who are great academically but whose circumstance do not allow them to attend an Ivy at first. For example, Treg Duerksen was a good Juco player who played at Columbia. He came from a very rural and agricultural background where it was not possible to imagine attending an Ivy. But he always got straight A's and his game was also very good - he played at Neosho with guys like Jeremy Pargo who played in the league. A Columbia assistant at the time, Bill Johnson, was from Nebraska and himself had played a few years of Juco for similar reasons, and brought him to Columbia. And Treg is doing very well now. There are other kids - first generation kids, low income kids and others for whom Juco is the only real option. And if they end up eligible to play at an Ivy, more power to them.

 
Dr. V 
PhD Student
Posts: 1536

Reg: 11-21-04
04-05-17 10:45 AM - Post#228541    
    In response to hoopsfan

Very well stated re JUCO. I say this as someone who in h.s. had never even heard of any of the Ivies much less thought of applying to one.

Re the Midwest top 100, this tends to confirm that indeed Engles et al. have done a very nice job on the recruiting trail this year.

 
SRP 
Postdoc
Posts: 4894

Reg: 02-04-06
04-05-17 05:38 PM - Post#228561    
    In response to Dr. V

Also, the "juco route" would not be a special athletic thing at Cornell. Their academic units brag about the number of juco transfers they graduate.

 
hoopsfan 
Masters Student
Posts: 642

Reg: 12-26-04
04-07-17 02:00 PM - Post#228628    
    In response to SRP

Chicago Sun Times 4/3/17

"Columbia out of the Ivy League has done some major work recruiting Illinois in the past 12 months.

Last spring coach Jim Engles landed a steal in Fenwick point guard Mike Smith, who went on to average 13.6 points and 3.5 assists a game as a freshman this past season. Now Columbia has added another one –– West Chicago’s Tai Bibbs.

The 6-2 combo guard committed to Columbia this past weekend amid growing interest and offers from many mid-major programs. Bibbs, who visited Columbia last week, is among the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s top 15 prospects in the senior class in Illinois.

Bibbs signed with Drake last fall. Drake head coach Ray Giacoletti abruptly resigned in December and Bibbs was given his release soon after and re-opened his recruitment.

Bibbs is a scoring guard with untapped upside as he continues to polish up his overall game. He put up huge numbers this past season, averaging 26 points and 4.7 rebounds while knocking down 74 three-pointers for the Wildcats."


 
Murph 
Masters Student
Posts: 626

Age: 63
Reg: 09-13-11
04-09-17 06:12 AM - Post#228647    
    In response to hoopsfan

While I certainly welcome an incoming talent like Bibbs, much of our talent seems redundant. We have an over-abundance of highly skilled guards, and a dearth of big men.

There is no way Engles is going to be able to find adequate minutes for Smith, Castlin, Hickman, Bibbs, Hanson, Stefinini, Adlesh, Killingsworth, Hunter and Davis. Several skilled guards are going to be sitting.

 
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