Some Recent Commits

With everything going on in March (there was some big tournament), it looks like I missed a few commitments to Big Sky teams! Here is a look at some of the recent players that will be coming to a Big Sky arena near you in the coming years.

- Ajak Magot (Idaho State) - Magot is a 6'11'' center from Cochise College, and it looks like he will have two years of eligibility to go. He averaged 6.1 PPG and 4.9 RPG last year, and reportedly had a lot of DI offers on the table. One scouting report I found online had this to say -

Ajak Magot, 6-8 PF Tucson (Ariz.) Cholla. A long and slender post with very quick feet, Magot has a chance to be a terrific defender. He gets a lot of deflections and blocks, due to his long arms and surprising quickness. He's not much of an offensive threat at this time, but his tools are good enough that you take him regardless at the mid major level. And he might be worth a look higher.

I also found this old tweet from the Rocky Mountain Hoop Review from when he gave his verbal:

Cochise CC's Ajak Magot 6'11, lefty can run,block shots and rebound, gives verbal to Idaho St. Men's hoops on visit twitter.com/RMHoopReview/s…
— Michael Clay (@RMHoopReview) March 16, 2013

Bill Evans is a defensive coach first, and Magot has the chance to be a really good player along the back line for the Bengals. For a team that had a huge lack of depth up front, Magot is a nice signing for them.

- Jacob Drage (Northern Colorado) - Like Sage Burmeister at Idaho State, Drage committed to play both football and basketball, which gives you some insight into his athletic ability. He is a 6'7'', 200 pound prospect who also plays TE/DE in football. I wasn't really able to find out a ton more about his basketball stats for style of play, but he could be one to watch for the future with UNC with his athletic talent.

- Casey Oliverson (Southern Utah) -He apparently originally committed to play for Utah State, but spent last year at Salt Lake Community College (where he says his goal was to get a scholarship offer from the Aggies - and it looks like he may have committed to Dixie State at some point there there as well). It looks like he originally was going to go to USU, before he got his scholarship offer pulled, at least from the article I have read. But that is neither here nor there, as he is now a member of the Thunderbirds, according to his Rivals profile.

Oliverson looks to be a physical power forward with a high basketball IQ. He averaged eight points and five rebounds per game last year at SLCC, shooting 64% from the field in 19.4 minutes per game. It looks like he will have three years of eligibility remaining and should be a solid player down low for Nick Robinson - assuming he sticks around.

- Tate De Laveaga (Northern Arizona, Class of 2014) -Jack Murphy and the Jacks are already getting work done for the class of 2014, as they got a verbal commitment from 6'3'' combo guard Tate De Laveaga. He is a good shooter, and recently put on 15 pounds of muscle, according to the linked article. He is a smart player, but probably projects to be more of a two guard than a lead guard. He also had a offer from Hawaii, and interest from Big Sky schools Montana and Idaho State (among others). Here is a scouting report from Arizona Hoop Review:

De Laveaga is a tough, combo-guard prospect that is a winner and has always played at a high level amidst his age group and even older. Tate is capable of playing both guard positions on the floor, but is at this best from the shooting guard position where he is able to score the basketball at a high rate. Tate is also a deadly shooter with nice range on his shot, and is able to create his own shot off the dribble against defensive pressure. He has a quick release on his shot. A tenacious penetrator, Tate drives the basketball hard to the basket and is an excellent finisher for his size. Has a nice mid-range game, which sets up his drives to the basket and scoring opportunities for his teammates. An aggressive defender that forces turnovers. A good passer that sees the floor. More focus on making players around him better will allow for him to continue to develop as a point guard. A very good ball handler that can get to anywhere he wants on the floor. A very good looking combo-guard prospect for the mid-major division-I level currently, but could develop into a higher prospect.

Any other recruits I have missed?

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