A (basketball) recruiting update
April 30, 2008 @ 2:56 p.m. by Joannaby joanna
This has been referenced by several of you, so here’s my take. Cowley College coach Steve Eck has loaded up on the City League. He’s got East’s Garrius Holloman and Jawanza Poland, Heights’ Kelton Marshall, Southeast’s Cortez Barnes and Adonis Gantt and former City Leaguers in Mike Atwater and Jack Crowder, Southeast grads.
Eck said he’s doing things a little differently this season, going heavy on in-state talent and filling in the holes with out-of-state recruits.
I mentioned to Bob Lutz that it will be tough to spread the ball around with such a group of prolific scorers and players. He said that’s never been a problem with a Steve Eck-coached team. Good point. If there’s anyone who can somehow mesh a City League All-Star team, it’s Eck (not that I’ve seen him coach. He out of the CL when I started).
As for Gantt signing with Cowley. Southeast coach Carl Taylor said his ACT test scores haven’t come back. In a previous conversation, Taylor had said that there was still time for Gantt to qualify. Taylor also noted that Georgia Southern, the Division I school where Gantt signed, lost assistant coach Elwyn McRoy, who recruited Gantt. McRoy is now at Arkansas State.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Don’t forget Lance Russell from South, he signed with Cowley as well.
May 1st, 2008 at 11:32 am
Its like we are in a time warp and South High has just went a lot further south…But this time Eck waited until the players graduated. Sorry I couldn’t resist.
May 1st, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Steve Eck once looked me in the face and told me he never recruited when he was at South…wow…
May 1st, 2008 at 9:15 pm
And neither has Carl Taylor, Ron Allen, Deon allen. All three of these guys made visit to the Ellis house this winter in search of the next great big man. Everyone in the city recruits, eck was just ahead of the time. When in Rome do as the Romans do!
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 am
thanks CLFAN this morning sports section showed list of players SOUTH HIGH Lance Russell signed as well
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:17 pm
“Former Coach”!!! Eck did not have to “recruit” at south The way he treated,taught,and most importantly cared about them as young men spoke for itself loud and clear.
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:34 am
Exactly FBallfn! What kid didn’t want to play for Steve? What parent wouldn’t want his/her son to play for the best coach possible? Players approached coach, not the other way around. I get tired of people trying to lay out Steve for players that were in the district (through bussing, etc) before he even took over the flipping team at South. Val Barnes, Marcus Zigler, Steve Woodberry, BJ/Darren Williams, Manny Dies, etc etc. I know one, Mike Keimig, that CHOSE to come to south, so he could play for coach, he wasn’t recruited… jealously leads to baseless accuisations.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Please…those coaches did not go to the ellis house…and steve eck did recruit when he was coaching at south…those cl players need to go where they can play…this is bullcrap…steve eck recruited when he was at south…if he says he didnt he is a liar!!! those players will not get to play…advice…go where you can play…steve eck will load up with about 20-25 players when the semester starts…
May 7th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
after he has 20-25 kids on the team…he will not play half of them…he recruits them so he will not have to play against them….i am not denying he is not a good coach..but brian jackson did a good job…and the coach before that did a good job…and they got rid of both of them…eck’s team this year did not qualify for the juco tournament.and he did recruit…i can ask at least 10 players and they all will say eck “spoke” with them about going to south…eck did a bunch of stuff because they allowed him to do it…when someone else did the same things…they were criticized…if you do something do it but don’t tell on others who do the same thing…eck may be a good coach…but there are others ….ronnie allen, carl taylor, joe auer, holderman, deon allen, all do a great job…and should not be lied on about recruiting…players…all players should go to the school in the district they play in…period
May 8th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Yeah all of carl taylor’s kids are from his district, same with allen. LOL!! Two of taylor’s first two kids came from NW in Palmer and Manual. Dude if you are going to say eck recruited you might as well not be an idiot and say the ronnie and carl don’t. Heck Ellis family told me that those three coaches made an in house visit. The one I feel sorry for is Auer, he is always losing talent to those who recruit them from his district. Yeah Brian and Randy did a great job of being .500. It has been many years since Eck was at South why don’t we just let it go, but don’t be stupid and say that no one else recruited since he left.
May 9th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
the best youg talent in the city league right now is the freshman that suited up for East high this season. (Ja’ln Williams). Saw this kid at the jayhawk invitational playing a grade up and played really well. Impressive. Saw him go for 23 against the highland park guard(richardson) and the bishop miege guard (releford)