Chet Forte
Postdoc
Posts: 2977
Reg: 03-02-08
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04-01-17 03:45 PM - Post#228427
Highly rated 6'3" PG from Chicago has just committed.
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hoopsfan
Masters Student
Posts: 648
Reg: 12-26-04
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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.
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Chet Forte
Postdoc
Posts: 2977
Reg: 03-02-08
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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.
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Columbia 37P6
Postdoc
Posts: 2184
Reg: 02-14-06
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04-01-17 11:36 PM - Post#228437
In response to Chet Forte
Fantastic pick up for the Columbia Lions!!!
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cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2204
Reg: 10-09-09
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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.
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Dr. V
PhD Student
Posts: 1540
Reg: 11-21-04
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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.
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SomeGuy
Professor
Posts: 6418
Reg: 11-22-04
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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.
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cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2204
Reg: 10-09-09
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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.
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Dr. V
PhD Student
Posts: 1540
Reg: 11-21-04
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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.
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cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2204
Reg: 10-09-09
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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.
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Chet Forte
Postdoc
Posts: 2977
Reg: 03-02-08
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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.
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Columbia 37P6
Postdoc
Posts: 2184
Reg: 02-14-06
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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.
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Chet Forte
Postdoc
Posts: 2977
Reg: 03-02-08
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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.
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cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2204
Reg: 10-09-09
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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.
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cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2204
Reg: 10-09-09
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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.
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Dr. V
PhD Student
Posts: 1540
Reg: 11-21-04
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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.
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cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2204
Reg: 10-09-09
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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,
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nycivybball
Pre-Frosh
Posts: 5
Reg: 12-16-16
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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.
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nycivybball
Pre-Frosh
Posts: 5
Reg: 12-16-16
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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 ...
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Columbia 37P6
Postdoc
Posts: 2184
Reg: 02-14-06
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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
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