Friday can only mean one thing for the discriminating Red Raider fan: time for another edition of the Red Raider Confidential. As always, we begin this session with the ground rules. Everything that is reported in the Red Raider Confidential must stay well… confidential. That's the way this deal works. The Red Raider Confidential is posted in the premium forum to ensure that this information stays exclusively within the Raider Nation.
This will continue to be successful only if everyone helps out, so let’s all work together and keep the discussions limited to this board.
Lewis-Moore keeping Tech in the game
A lot of times when a recruit is being heavily pursued by virtually most of the schools in the country, they have a hard time resisting the prestigious offers, specifically from defending national champions. But it was obvious when Weatherford defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore got a text message from Florida this week telling him that they were going to offer once they saw him personally, he was relieved that he held off from committing to Texas A&M on his visit two weeks ago.
These are the kind of schools that Tech is going up against for the Rivals250 member. After receiving attention from USC and Florida this week, it’s obvious that Lewis-Moore is undoubtedly most impressed with the powerhouse programs (as he should be), but it still playing it smart.
“I want to try to visit as many of my offers as I can,” explained Lewis-Moore who has a grand total of 11 offers, after receiving two more within the last three days from Nebraska and Baylor. “I think the way it’s going to work out is that I will visit the schools that are driving distance as unofficial, and then wait for the others until I can go on an official in the fall. That’s the best I can do with my financial situation.”
The only schools within driving distance from Lewis-Moore are A&M, Baylor, and Texas Tech. With the Aggies already receiving their visit, it’s obvious mandatory to get Lewis-Moore to Lubbock in order for the Red Raiders to have a chance with the 6-foot-4 225-pound lineman.
Therefore, all Tech fans really need answered is one question: What’s the odds of Lewis-Moore making the four hour trip down I-20 and US-84 to the Hub City?
“I am going to try to make it to the spring game on April 14th. But if I can’t make it then, we have our regional track meet in Lubbock on the last weekend of April. Whether or not I make regionals in shot-put this year, I will go with the team so I can check it out and make a visit. So for sure mark me down for that one.”
If indeed Lewis-Moore does make the trek in April, then consider Tech still in the mix heading into the fall, when he will be traveling all over to country visiting multiple consistent top 25 programs.
Is Davis slipping away from Tech?
It was exactly one month ago when Stephenville safety Cody Davis had gotten back from his visit to Tech and told us this:
“If they offered, I would probably commit. I mean, I would need to look it all over thoroughly, but I think they’re the best fit for me.”
The Red Raiders extended an offer to Davis less than a week later, so most thought a commitment from the 6-foot-2 205-pound defensive back would be soon to follow.
Now a month later, it appears now that more teams are pursuing Davis, his interest with Tech is floundering.
“I just got back from looking around at Oklahoma State a couple of days ago,” Davis said. “We went out there and most of the facilities were real nice and watched practice.”
So how was his visit to Stillwater?
“It’s really nice, there’s a lot happening there. They’re adding on quite a bit and put a lot of money back into their athletic program. They’re just now finishing the addition in the end zone. They’re closing it in and it’s going to be real loud when they get that finished.”
We asked Davis the differences between what he’s hearing from Tech coaches and Oklahoma State coaches.
“They’re both about saying the same thing right now. They’re talking about how their program is, how I fit in, and they talk a little bit about moving me to outside backer, both of them have mentioned it.”
The main difference between Oklahoma State and Tech is that the Cowboys have yet offered Davis. His coach had told him that they would offer after visiting this weekend, but he left the state of Oklahoma empty handed. Although for whatever reason, Davis has mentioned them along with Tech as his top two since the first time we talked to him.
We brought up the fact that Davis had stated a month ago that he was ready to commit to the Red Raiders, and now he seems to be backing up. So is Davis losing interest in Tech?
“I don’t think they’ve moved down the list, there are just a couple of schools that have gotten up there with them. I’m just getting more interest from bigger schools.”
It does not seem as if Davis will be re-visiting Tech anytime soon, while he hopes to take a look at some of the “bigger schools”.
“Around Easter weekend I might go see Auburn and then go to Alabama and then keep going to Ole Miss and watch the Ole Miss Spring game.”
Auburn, Arkansas, and Ole Miss have been calling Davis’ coach lately and that’s why he feels he should take a visit to those three programs.
Davis received an offer from Duke this week, adding his offer list to six: Duke, Tech, Baylor, Houston, Ole Miss, and SMU.
The Hawaiian connection begins
The Red Raiders tackled previously uncharted territory last month when they signed their first Hawaii native in linebacker [db]Sam Fehoko[/db]. With the commitment of Fehoko, there was much talk about this possibly opening the doors for Texas Tech and the state of Hawaii. One month into the 2008 recruiting season, it looks as if this theory could be true.
Fifteen minutes from Fehoko’s house is one of his rival’s, Castle High School, where defensive tackle Solomon Koehler has been busy gaining attention from many collegiate programs.
“Colorado and Arizona have been coming hard, along with Washington. Texas Tech has been making a hard push within the last two to three weeks.”
With verbal offers from Utah and Hawaii, and a list of over two dozen schools that Koehler is getting mail from, could the Red Raiders be in the mix with the 6-foot-2 315-pound lineman?
“Yeah, they look like a really good upcoming program. They look like they’re going to be a big force in the upcoming years. I’ve seen how many bowl games they’ve been to.”
What factors is he looking for in a school?
“A really good program that the coaches are looking for the players to excel in no matter what the season is like. I also want a family mentality around the team.”
Koehler admits that he has spent a lot of time researching Tech online, to find out more about the West Texas school. He says that so far he likes what he sees.
We can also tell you that Fehoko has contacted Koehler at least once thus far, to talk to him about the possibilities of possibly playing together in a year.
“I don’t know him real well but I know him because we used to go to the same clinic and I’d always talk to him a little over there,” Koehler said. “But he seems like a good guy.”
It’s yet to be seen if Tech is going to continue to pursue Koehler aggressively down the stretch, as the big man admitted to us that academics are an issue at this point.
“Right now I need to continue with my schoolwork because I want to make sure I’m academically qualified because without that, I can’t accept any offers. I want to get a better GPA and get my SAT scores up.”
Putting his full effort into the classroom, it seems as if recruiting is one of the last things on Koehler’s mind right now, and don’t be surprised for him to put off the process until after his senior year.
Ray has Tech ties
We’ve told you about Katy Taylor’s forward Corbin Ray and how he has visited Texas A&M, Baylor, and Texas Tech. We asked him if there were any factors that stood out between those three.
“I don’t know if you’ve been to A&M, but there fans are pretty crazy and pretty loud. The student body is pretty into it.”
With that being said, Tech has received more unofficial visits from Ray than any other schools because of the fact that he’s been going to Lubbock annually all his life.
“Both of my parents both graduated from Tech so I know a little bit more about them than I do the other schools. Most of my family lives about five to ten minutes from campus, so I’m pretty familiar with them. Just because my family lives there, I go up there every summer. To visit the school, I’ve gone the past two years. The first year was just to see the campus and the second one was for family. But I go up to see my family every now and then and every time we go, we take a tour around campus because we know that Tech is interested.”
If those weren’t enough connections for the Red Raiders already, Ray’s mother played for the Lady Raiders back in the early 80’s when Coach Sharpe first came to Tech. He has been able to talk to Bob Knight several times thus far as well.
“He’s probably just like any coach except that he shoots you straight. I like him a lot because he just told us the deal; he’ll shoot you straight, and doesn’t just blow smoke. I like how he handled himself and told everybody how it’s going to be.”
What does Knight think about Ray having a successful future at Tech?
“Personally, just from talking to him, he says I can just from watching me play a bunch. I know he knows what he’s doing, so it’s always just good to know that you’re in good hands if you have a good coach. Just talking to him, he’s a man that knows what he’s doing.”
Ray does admit that Tech does have an advantage when it comes to his relatives being close by.
“Just the fact that Tech is just five minutes away, it’s pretty neat to know that if I went there that I would have family close by to support me.”
But Tech fans should not get excited about Ray just yet as he has made it apparent that he is going to take his time in the recruiting process. He wants to take it slow so that he can make sure that he is garnering attention from as many schools as possible.
The Taylor HS star says that all the schools are open right now and is “completely open”. Although one has to think that Tech will undoubtedly receive massive considering from the forward, simply because of the Tech connections that surround him.
Curtis likes Tech, Riley
We told you earlier this week about De’Anthony Curtis, a probable four-star running back from Arkansas, who had just received a Tech offer. Here are some more of his thoughts:
On his recruiting coach, Lincoln Riley:
“Coach Riley is a really cool guy. We’ve been in touch and I really, really like him. He’s a great guy and he really seems like he can relate to us. Plus, he’s just a really nice guy.”
On Stefan Loucks:
“I know Stefan really well actually. We lost to them in the state quarterfinals. He’s a really good quarterback. I’d say I know him pretty well.”
On what factors will help him choose a college:
“Number one is definitely academics. I want to major in Architecture. I think I can handle the load and still be a student. Right now, I have a 3.1 core GPA. Number two is their graduation rate. It’s really important to me to get a college degree.”
On Oklahoma State:
“Their coaches told me I would start right away, so that’s cool. I want to be the feature back and get a lot of touches, and they have a really good running game, supposedly. I also looked at their facilities online, they’re really nice.”
On his time at the Army All-American combine:
“It went really well. I actually ran the forty there and ran a 4.41. I weighed in at like 5-foot-10, 204-pounds.”
Right now, it looks like Tech is in fourth place for Curtis’ services, but a good unofficial visit could change that. Curtis appears to be a game-breaker and a serious home run threat, and would be a huge get for Tech. Our guess is that he’s an SEC lean, mainly because of geography, but Tech certainly has a fighting chance here.
Hankins continues scouting report on Jeff Taylor
We updated you recently on 2008 top 150 prospect Jeff Taylor and how his season ended. We also let you in on what one of his opposing coaches, Clovis assistant Mike Hankins, thought of him.
Here are a few more of Hankins’ thoughts:
On Taylor’s most impressive attribute:
“I would say it has to be his ability to cover 10 feet so quickly. I mean he gets from point A to point B in a hurry. He has a great first step. That’s what blows me away about him – he covers that initial space so fast.”
On Taylor’s future position:
“I think he’ll have to play wing in college. I mean, he’s 6-foot-6, maybe with 6-foot-7 with the hair, but I think he’ll make a heck of a wing. He’s a good passer and he’s got a good shot.”
On the attention Taylor receives:
“I’d like to see him play on a team where he isn’t the only scoring option they have. That would be scary. He draws doubles all the time and still does well.”
On Taylor’s defense:
“I think he can be a great defender because he’s got those long arms and all that. Right now, he just can’t play too much defense because he’s too valuable to that team. They need him on the floor or they suddenly become very mortal. That’s a lot of why he plays off a lot of defense.”
Miscellaneous Tidbits:
• One name we can confirm that Bob Knight and his staff have been looking at for the 2008 class that no one has reported previously is Robert Moores a combo guard out of Pratt CC. Moores is 6-foot-2 and originally out of Chicago. Moores averaged over 13 points, nearly three boards and four assists as well as two steals a game. While the Red Raiders have their eyes on Jeff Taylor Jr. and Corbin Ray from the high school ranks Moores could be taken in place of Nick Okorie at South Plains depending on what the staff is ultimately looking for.
• One change that Bob Knight has already made to his staff is the removal of strength and conditioning coach Cliff Felkins. Knight has hired an assistant from Texas to fill that role and his arrival is expected to be in April. At this point we are unaware of his name and only know that he is coming from the University of Texas where he assisted the head strength coach for basketball while there.
• Another item to go along with the men’s hoops strength and conditioning is that almost immediately Tech’s current weight room in the Unites Spirit Arena will be enlarged and re-done and moved to another area of the arena. In its place will be an underwater treadmill similar to what is currently found in Tech’s football training facility. It can be used for training or rehab purposes.
To view previous installments of the Red Raider Confidential, visit the archives by clicking here[/URL].
Again, The Red Raider Confidential is a special feature for RedRaiderSports.com subscribers only. Everything that is reported in the Red Raider Confidential must stay well… confidential. That's the way this deal works. The Red Raider Confidential is posted in the premium forum to ensure that this information stays exclusively within the Raider Nation.
This will only be successful if everyone helps make it work, so let’s all work together and keep the discussions limited to this board.
Thank you all again for subscribing to RedRaiderSports.com!
This will continue to be successful only if everyone helps out, so let’s all work together and keep the discussions limited to this board.
Lewis-Moore keeping Tech in the game
A lot of times when a recruit is being heavily pursued by virtually most of the schools in the country, they have a hard time resisting the prestigious offers, specifically from defending national champions. But it was obvious when Weatherford defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore got a text message from Florida this week telling him that they were going to offer once they saw him personally, he was relieved that he held off from committing to Texas A&M on his visit two weeks ago.
These are the kind of schools that Tech is going up against for the Rivals250 member. After receiving attention from USC and Florida this week, it’s obvious that Lewis-Moore is undoubtedly most impressed with the powerhouse programs (as he should be), but it still playing it smart.
“I want to try to visit as many of my offers as I can,” explained Lewis-Moore who has a grand total of 11 offers, after receiving two more within the last three days from Nebraska and Baylor. “I think the way it’s going to work out is that I will visit the schools that are driving distance as unofficial, and then wait for the others until I can go on an official in the fall. That’s the best I can do with my financial situation.”
The only schools within driving distance from Lewis-Moore are A&M, Baylor, and Texas Tech. With the Aggies already receiving their visit, it’s obvious mandatory to get Lewis-Moore to Lubbock in order for the Red Raiders to have a chance with the 6-foot-4 225-pound lineman.
Therefore, all Tech fans really need answered is one question: What’s the odds of Lewis-Moore making the four hour trip down I-20 and US-84 to the Hub City?
“I am going to try to make it to the spring game on April 14th. But if I can’t make it then, we have our regional track meet in Lubbock on the last weekend of April. Whether or not I make regionals in shot-put this year, I will go with the team so I can check it out and make a visit. So for sure mark me down for that one.”
If indeed Lewis-Moore does make the trek in April, then consider Tech still in the mix heading into the fall, when he will be traveling all over to country visiting multiple consistent top 25 programs.
Is Davis slipping away from Tech?
It was exactly one month ago when Stephenville safety Cody Davis had gotten back from his visit to Tech and told us this:
“If they offered, I would probably commit. I mean, I would need to look it all over thoroughly, but I think they’re the best fit for me.”
The Red Raiders extended an offer to Davis less than a week later, so most thought a commitment from the 6-foot-2 205-pound defensive back would be soon to follow.
Now a month later, it appears now that more teams are pursuing Davis, his interest with Tech is floundering.
“I just got back from looking around at Oklahoma State a couple of days ago,” Davis said. “We went out there and most of the facilities were real nice and watched practice.”
So how was his visit to Stillwater?
“It’s really nice, there’s a lot happening there. They’re adding on quite a bit and put a lot of money back into their athletic program. They’re just now finishing the addition in the end zone. They’re closing it in and it’s going to be real loud when they get that finished.”
We asked Davis the differences between what he’s hearing from Tech coaches and Oklahoma State coaches.
“They’re both about saying the same thing right now. They’re talking about how their program is, how I fit in, and they talk a little bit about moving me to outside backer, both of them have mentioned it.”
The main difference between Oklahoma State and Tech is that the Cowboys have yet offered Davis. His coach had told him that they would offer after visiting this weekend, but he left the state of Oklahoma empty handed. Although for whatever reason, Davis has mentioned them along with Tech as his top two since the first time we talked to him.
We brought up the fact that Davis had stated a month ago that he was ready to commit to the Red Raiders, and now he seems to be backing up. So is Davis losing interest in Tech?
“I don’t think they’ve moved down the list, there are just a couple of schools that have gotten up there with them. I’m just getting more interest from bigger schools.”
It does not seem as if Davis will be re-visiting Tech anytime soon, while he hopes to take a look at some of the “bigger schools”.
“Around Easter weekend I might go see Auburn and then go to Alabama and then keep going to Ole Miss and watch the Ole Miss Spring game.”
Auburn, Arkansas, and Ole Miss have been calling Davis’ coach lately and that’s why he feels he should take a visit to those three programs.
Davis received an offer from Duke this week, adding his offer list to six: Duke, Tech, Baylor, Houston, Ole Miss, and SMU.
The Hawaiian connection begins
The Red Raiders tackled previously uncharted territory last month when they signed their first Hawaii native in linebacker [db]Sam Fehoko[/db]. With the commitment of Fehoko, there was much talk about this possibly opening the doors for Texas Tech and the state of Hawaii. One month into the 2008 recruiting season, it looks as if this theory could be true.
Fifteen minutes from Fehoko’s house is one of his rival’s, Castle High School, where defensive tackle Solomon Koehler has been busy gaining attention from many collegiate programs.
“Colorado and Arizona have been coming hard, along with Washington. Texas Tech has been making a hard push within the last two to three weeks.”
With verbal offers from Utah and Hawaii, and a list of over two dozen schools that Koehler is getting mail from, could the Red Raiders be in the mix with the 6-foot-2 315-pound lineman?
“Yeah, they look like a really good upcoming program. They look like they’re going to be a big force in the upcoming years. I’ve seen how many bowl games they’ve been to.”
What factors is he looking for in a school?
“A really good program that the coaches are looking for the players to excel in no matter what the season is like. I also want a family mentality around the team.”
Koehler admits that he has spent a lot of time researching Tech online, to find out more about the West Texas school. He says that so far he likes what he sees.
We can also tell you that Fehoko has contacted Koehler at least once thus far, to talk to him about the possibilities of possibly playing together in a year.
“I don’t know him real well but I know him because we used to go to the same clinic and I’d always talk to him a little over there,” Koehler said. “But he seems like a good guy.”
It’s yet to be seen if Tech is going to continue to pursue Koehler aggressively down the stretch, as the big man admitted to us that academics are an issue at this point.
“Right now I need to continue with my schoolwork because I want to make sure I’m academically qualified because without that, I can’t accept any offers. I want to get a better GPA and get my SAT scores up.”
Putting his full effort into the classroom, it seems as if recruiting is one of the last things on Koehler’s mind right now, and don’t be surprised for him to put off the process until after his senior year.
Ray has Tech ties
We’ve told you about Katy Taylor’s forward Corbin Ray and how he has visited Texas A&M, Baylor, and Texas Tech. We asked him if there were any factors that stood out between those three.
“I don’t know if you’ve been to A&M, but there fans are pretty crazy and pretty loud. The student body is pretty into it.”
With that being said, Tech has received more unofficial visits from Ray than any other schools because of the fact that he’s been going to Lubbock annually all his life.
“Both of my parents both graduated from Tech so I know a little bit more about them than I do the other schools. Most of my family lives about five to ten minutes from campus, so I’m pretty familiar with them. Just because my family lives there, I go up there every summer. To visit the school, I’ve gone the past two years. The first year was just to see the campus and the second one was for family. But I go up to see my family every now and then and every time we go, we take a tour around campus because we know that Tech is interested.”
If those weren’t enough connections for the Red Raiders already, Ray’s mother played for the Lady Raiders back in the early 80’s when Coach Sharpe first came to Tech. He has been able to talk to Bob Knight several times thus far as well.
“He’s probably just like any coach except that he shoots you straight. I like him a lot because he just told us the deal; he’ll shoot you straight, and doesn’t just blow smoke. I like how he handled himself and told everybody how it’s going to be.”
What does Knight think about Ray having a successful future at Tech?
“Personally, just from talking to him, he says I can just from watching me play a bunch. I know he knows what he’s doing, so it’s always just good to know that you’re in good hands if you have a good coach. Just talking to him, he’s a man that knows what he’s doing.”
Ray does admit that Tech does have an advantage when it comes to his relatives being close by.
“Just the fact that Tech is just five minutes away, it’s pretty neat to know that if I went there that I would have family close by to support me.”
But Tech fans should not get excited about Ray just yet as he has made it apparent that he is going to take his time in the recruiting process. He wants to take it slow so that he can make sure that he is garnering attention from as many schools as possible.
The Taylor HS star says that all the schools are open right now and is “completely open”. Although one has to think that Tech will undoubtedly receive massive considering from the forward, simply because of the Tech connections that surround him.
Curtis likes Tech, Riley
We told you earlier this week about De’Anthony Curtis, a probable four-star running back from Arkansas, who had just received a Tech offer. Here are some more of his thoughts:
On his recruiting coach, Lincoln Riley:
“Coach Riley is a really cool guy. We’ve been in touch and I really, really like him. He’s a great guy and he really seems like he can relate to us. Plus, he’s just a really nice guy.”
On Stefan Loucks:
“I know Stefan really well actually. We lost to them in the state quarterfinals. He’s a really good quarterback. I’d say I know him pretty well.”
On what factors will help him choose a college:
“Number one is definitely academics. I want to major in Architecture. I think I can handle the load and still be a student. Right now, I have a 3.1 core GPA. Number two is their graduation rate. It’s really important to me to get a college degree.”
On Oklahoma State:
“Their coaches told me I would start right away, so that’s cool. I want to be the feature back and get a lot of touches, and they have a really good running game, supposedly. I also looked at their facilities online, they’re really nice.”
On his time at the Army All-American combine:
“It went really well. I actually ran the forty there and ran a 4.41. I weighed in at like 5-foot-10, 204-pounds.”
Right now, it looks like Tech is in fourth place for Curtis’ services, but a good unofficial visit could change that. Curtis appears to be a game-breaker and a serious home run threat, and would be a huge get for Tech. Our guess is that he’s an SEC lean, mainly because of geography, but Tech certainly has a fighting chance here.
Hankins continues scouting report on Jeff Taylor
We updated you recently on 2008 top 150 prospect Jeff Taylor and how his season ended. We also let you in on what one of his opposing coaches, Clovis assistant Mike Hankins, thought of him.
Here are a few more of Hankins’ thoughts:
On Taylor’s most impressive attribute:
“I would say it has to be his ability to cover 10 feet so quickly. I mean he gets from point A to point B in a hurry. He has a great first step. That’s what blows me away about him – he covers that initial space so fast.”
On Taylor’s future position:
“I think he’ll have to play wing in college. I mean, he’s 6-foot-6, maybe with 6-foot-7 with the hair, but I think he’ll make a heck of a wing. He’s a good passer and he’s got a good shot.”
On the attention Taylor receives:
“I’d like to see him play on a team where he isn’t the only scoring option they have. That would be scary. He draws doubles all the time and still does well.”
On Taylor’s defense:
“I think he can be a great defender because he’s got those long arms and all that. Right now, he just can’t play too much defense because he’s too valuable to that team. They need him on the floor or they suddenly become very mortal. That’s a lot of why he plays off a lot of defense.”
Miscellaneous Tidbits:
• One name we can confirm that Bob Knight and his staff have been looking at for the 2008 class that no one has reported previously is Robert Moores a combo guard out of Pratt CC. Moores is 6-foot-2 and originally out of Chicago. Moores averaged over 13 points, nearly three boards and four assists as well as two steals a game. While the Red Raiders have their eyes on Jeff Taylor Jr. and Corbin Ray from the high school ranks Moores could be taken in place of Nick Okorie at South Plains depending on what the staff is ultimately looking for.
• One change that Bob Knight has already made to his staff is the removal of strength and conditioning coach Cliff Felkins. Knight has hired an assistant from Texas to fill that role and his arrival is expected to be in April. At this point we are unaware of his name and only know that he is coming from the University of Texas where he assisted the head strength coach for basketball while there.
• Another item to go along with the men’s hoops strength and conditioning is that almost immediately Tech’s current weight room in the Unites Spirit Arena will be enlarged and re-done and moved to another area of the arena. In its place will be an underwater treadmill similar to what is currently found in Tech’s football training facility. It can be used for training or rehab purposes.
To view previous installments of the Red Raider Confidential, visit the archives by clicking here[/URL].
Again, The Red Raider Confidential is a special feature for RedRaiderSports.com subscribers only. Everything that is reported in the Red Raider Confidential must stay well… confidential. That's the way this deal works. The Red Raider Confidential is posted in the premium forum to ensure that this information stays exclusively within the Raider Nation.
This will only be successful if everyone helps make it work, so let’s all work together and keep the discussions limited to this board.
Thank you all again for subscribing to RedRaiderSports.com!
