Friday can only mean one thing for the discriminating Red Raider fan.
It's time for another edition of the Red Raider Confidential! The ground rules
are simple and easy to follow: everything reported in this report is not to be disclosed elsewhere. This feature is posted in the premium forum to ensure that this information stays exclusively within the
Red Raider Nation.
This will continue to be successful only if everyone
does their part and keeps the discussions limited to this board.
Bell close to decision?
During our conversation with Boulder (Colo.) Fairview athlete Kenny Bell
earlier this week, it was hard not to detect a level of excitement in
his voice while he was talking about his trip to Texas Tech next weekend. This
is interesting to note because, after his visit to Minnesota in September, he
was actually very close to becoming a Gopher.
"Coming back from my Minnesota trip, I was real excited and even wanted to
sign," he said. "I feel that Minnesota is a little deeper than football. The
people that I would surround myself there would make an impact for a lifetime. I
felt like it was a family thing there and they made me feel like I wanted to be
a part of it. Coach Brew (Tim Brewster) and that staff are a
great staff. I really like them."
"But I talked to Coach (Brian) Mitchell and he actually came
out and saw me last week. I didn’t get a chance to meet Coach (Mike)
Leach when I was out there before. I’m excited to see what the
atmosphere is like when Tech plays Texas A&M."
And while he did have an impulse to commit to Minnesota immediately after his
trip, Texas Tech has been on his mind for some time now.
"I’ve been thinking about going to Texas Tech since last year, as a junior, but
never thought I’d get an offer from there," Bell said. "Going out there and
playing for a coach like Coach Leach is great because he has proven success. No
matter where he’s at, he makes a team win. Coach Mitchell and Coach Ruff (Ruffin
McNeill) make me feel like they really want me. I’m excited to get out
there. Playing in that atmosphere in the Big 12 week in and week out, playing in
front of some of the best receivers is attractive. Being in front of 60,000
people is exciting."
Our take: We feel like there is a good chance that Bell commits
to the Red Raiders on or soon after his visit next weekend.
Griffin has Lubbock connections
Earlier this week, we caught up with Clinton (Okla.) running back,
and Texas Tech commit, Delans Griffin to get the scoop on when
he plans to officially visit the South Plains. As detailed in the article, he'll
be here the weekend of November 21 and will watch his future teammates take on
Oklahoma.
"I hear the crowd is wild there (at Jones AT&T Stadium)," Griffin said. "They’re
some good people in that crowd. The atmosphere is real good. I want to see how
that is. I think it’ll be a nice environment, that’s what I hear form everyone
else.
Griffin, who has yet to see the Red Raider program in person, remains solid in
his commitment despite continued efforts by Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Oregon and
others. A big reason why he hasn't wavered is his relationship with the Texas
Tech coaching staff.
"I just like the coaches," Griffin said. "They’re real nice there. I have a good
relationship with them. I think they’re good people. They have nice
personalities and will be straight forward with you and explain everything. I
get along with them real well. I just like the way that they do their offense
and I like to be split out and they tell me that they want me to do all that."
He is also getting good reviews on Lubbock from other people that he trusts.
"I got family that live around there and I heard that it was nice," he said.
"People around here have family that are in Lubbock and they go to Lubbock all
the time. My uncle that always goes to Lubbock said that he loves it down there.
I think I’m going to be alright.
"My aunt and uncle live somewhere near there but I’m not sure where it is. They
said that they go there often and if I ever need them when I’m there I can call
them and see if they can help me out. I think I’m going to like it. I hear from
people all the time that they like it. I’m thinking I’ll be alright."
The four-star prospect has been watching the Red Raiders' 2009 season very
closely, eyeing where he thinks he could fit in next year
"Oh yeah, I just like the offense," Griffin said. "For me, personally, if I
could play receiver or running back I’d play receiver. I think I can make some
big plays for them. I can return the football. They have a heck of a returner
now but I’d like to return and catch some passes and make some good plays. They
had a couple of losses but they’re looking better.
"This is offense can get you a touchdown in one play. That’s the top of offense
I want to be in, the one where you’re given the chance to make plays and win
games. I think their offense is very explosive and the more they’re getting in
the running game it’s starting to improve."
Griffin was very impressed by the 66-14 rout of Kansas State last weekend.
"I think they played well. People were making big plays," he said. "You lose
games and some people don’t come back and respond well but they’ve been doing
that. That’s what I like about them. They’re starting to get that running game
where it needs to be to be able to pass like they want to. Their running game
has been good enough to open up a lot of stuff."
Cooper visiting UCF this weekend
We received word late last night from a source in Florida that Panama City
(Fla.) Gulf Coast C.C. forward Paul Cooper would be officially
visiting UCF this weekend. The 6-foot-8, 280-pound prospect recently returned
from a trip to Texas Tech, and every indication was that he was set to pull the
trigger and end his recruitment.
While that may not be as certain now, we exchanged text messages with Cooper
early this morning and he told us that he was visiting UCF just so that he would
have something to compare to the Red Raiders.
Stay tuned.
Premium Q&A: Madison (Miss.) Central DL Bryon Bennett
What’s the latest with recruiting?
BB: "It’s going pretty good. I have offers from Wisconsin,
Michigan State, and Syracuse. Oklahoma is looking at me, Notre Dame is
interested."
Who are your top schools?
BB: "Syracuse, Ole Miss and I’m undecided on the third. "
Who are candidates for that third spot?
BB: "Texas Tech is in the top three too. Syracuse, they’re
recruiting, period. I talk to a lot of coaches at Tech. I’m going to look at my
calendar and see when I have time to catch games. I’m pretty much concentrating
on the season."
When was the last time you talked to Tech?
BB: "It was recently. If it wasn’t last week, it was the week
before. They had a few coaches on one phone. I think I was talking to Coach
(Ruffin) McNeill."
What did Coach McNeill tell you?
BB: "He just told me how they could use me. He’s sent me a lot
of letters and phonecalls on different weeks. He was telling me how there
players were leaving and I was thinking about their playing time. I think
they’re going to have around seven linemen leaving so I’m excited."
Rumor is that during a televised game a few weeks ago, the play-by-play guy said
that Texas Tech was your favorite?
BB: "Yeah, they were. Right now, I’m back to where I was, and
it’s back to the same. I’ve been watching them during the season and seeing how
they treat their freshman and if they get playing time consistently. I was
really leaning towards Texas Tech then but now everybody has a fair shot and I’m
leaning towards everyone equally."
What happened between now and then?
BB: "I guess over time it just changed. Different people
started telling me how their player sitaution worked and I found out that it was
similar to Tech. It sounds like I’ll get similar playing time elsewhere and
other schools are having seniors leaving. I’ve been watching all these teams on
TV."
Have you scheduled any official visits?
BB: "I’m planning on going to the Texas Tech game with
they play Oklahoma."
Have you confirmed that with the coaches?
BB: "Yeah."
Why the OU game?
BB: "It’s going to be a pretty good game and I could watch them
and see how they react to a good team that’s ranked every year. I want to see
how they play against them and if they can pull out a win. I want to look at
their linemen, coaching and their schemes for the games. I’m going to check out
their preparation and see if they’d be a good choice. I’m excited about the
trip."
Do you have any other visits planned?
BB: "Not really other than that game. This past weekend I
went to Ole Miss/Alabama."
Tech your first visit because they’re one of your favorites?
BB: "I was thinking Syracuse or some place like that. I
want to check out the team and everything. I want to give them a fair shake. I
want to travel and check out their campus. I want to evaluate all colleges
before I make my decision. I want to sit down and compare everybody."
Robinson returns from Texas Tech visit, plans another
Texas Tech men's basketball head coach Pat Knight and his staff
picked up a huge 2011 commitment last week in the form of Lubbock (Texas)
Estacado point guard Kevin Wagner. With a standout guard
already locked up, the Red Raiders can now focus on adding a big man. Their top
target? Eastland (Texas) standout Forrest Robinson, who visited the program two
weeks ago.
"Every player got their own keys to the gym," he said. "It’s real cool because
you run a key chain across the door and it opens the gym," Robinson said. "If
you’re by yourself then you can call the manager and they have to come rebound
for you. I thought that was really cool. I didn’t know it was like that."
The 6-foot-9, 210-pound prospect was impressed with the campus, the facilities,
and he could envision himself playing for Pat Knight.
"Pat Knight seems like a cool guy and someone I could probably play for,"
Robinson said. "He’s a player’s type of coach. Pat Knight is a really funny guy.
He’s real laid back, cool and mellow you see him on the campus walking around in
flip-flops and shorts. Everyone talks to him. He seems real energetic and eager
to get to practice and work."
Robinson said he was really blown away by the atmosphere at Texas Tech's home
football game against New Mexico, and hopes that it is similar during the
basketball games.
"If it’s that crazy at football, I’d love to know what it’s like for
basketball," Robinson said. "It’s good to know that you’re going to have
somebody behind you when you’re playing. If you’re winning by 30, you’re still
going to have people going crazy. If you’re down by 30, it seems like they’ll
still be there to support you. It was a good atmosphere. People were saying hi
to me and talking to me and I didn’t even know them."
Robinson plans to visit the Red Raiders again next weekend.
"I liked what I saw the first time so I’d want to say what’s up to Coach Knight
again and say what’s up to some of the players," Robinson said. "I want to be
back in the atmosphere. It makes me want to get out on the court just by being
around it and in the stands. You can tell that they take pride in Texas Tech."
Premium Photo: New Under Armour shoes
Level snapped this picture (with his iPhone) of Texas Tech's new Under Armour
basketball shows last week while we were out at practice. The Double T on the
outside heel is not a sticker, patch or anything that is affixed to the shoe
after it is finished; it was designed for the shoe. On the other side (not
pictured), is a very light gray, almost silver, image of a hand giving the "Guns
Up" sign. Texas Tech is the first UA program to receive program-unique shoes.
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This post was edited on 10/18 12:38 PM by A. Dickens
