Basketball: Provo coach talks about Davies' recruitment
Had a nice chat this morning with an old friend of mine -- Provo basketball coach Craig Drury -- about Brandon Davies, the 6-foot-9 senior who will play for the legendary coach this winter before moving on to what should be an outstanding college basketball career.
I've been getting a lot of reports about the recruitment of Davies, some conflicting with each other, and I figured the coach with the most state titles in Utah prep basketball history would give it to me straight. Over the years, Drury has been one of the most frank, honest coaches I have covered.
"He's good," Drury said. "He barely turned 17, so he's still going to grow a few more inches. He's got a 7-foot-4 wing span, he runs well and he's an adequate shooter for a 6-9 kid."
Fast fact: Davies is actually younger than Timpview's 6-foot-6 Bronson Kaufusi, the junior-to-be who has committed to play football for BYU but could very well get some basketball offers.
Drury confirmed that Davies has been "blowing up," as they say, with some great games against some of the best competition in the country this summer. Lately, almost every school in the Pac-10 has called Drury, as well as what he called "a prominent basketball power in the Pacific Northwest." That would be Gonzaga, obviously.
Locally, BYU, Utah and Utah State have extended scholarship offers and have been on him for years. Davies is African-American, LDS, and was adopted at birth.
So, coach, which lucky school is going to get this kid?
Drury said he talked with Davies two weeks ago before the Utah Pump-N-Run Red team left for Las Vegas, and that Davies was "entirely open" at the time.
"When he gets back, we will talk and start narrowing it down so we can be fair to the schools he won't be considering so they can make other plans," Drury said.
Then the coach said something that might make coaches at BYU, Utah and other places cringe: "I would love to see him play for Stew. Of course, every player I have had, I wanted them to play for Stew."
Stew, of course, is Utah State basketball coach Stew Morrill. Drury and Morrill grew up together and are close friends.
Drury quickly added that ultimately it will be Davies' decision, and Davies' decision alone.
"My role with Brandon will be more as a veto voice," he said. "If I say anything, it will be to discourage him from going somewhere he won't fit. I've had tons of players go to BYU and have good experiences there, so I am not going to tell him not to go there, obviously."
Drury is more involved in Davies' recruitment than he would usually be because Davies has been raised by a hard-working single mother who adopted him when he was a baby. She is not savvy to the recruiting game and has asked for help.
The parents of Provo junior Kyle Collinsworth, who will be one of 2010's top in-state recruits, are very involved because they went through the process a few years ago with their son, Chris, a BYU player who is currently on an LDS Church mission. Church leaders, caring neighbors and his club team coaches are also involved.
"His mother has done a wonderful job raising him, but the neighborhood around him has helped raise him, too," Drury said. "He has sat at a lot of kitchen tables in this area, doing his homework."
Speaking of which, Drury said that while Davies is not a super student, he is on track to pass the NCAA clearinghouse "if he does everything he's supposed to do" this coming school year.
Another source very close to Davies, who asked to remain nameless, said "he would like to go to BYU. His mother wants him to go to BYU. He is not the type of kid to leave town too far. He will probably want to play in front of his family and friends. He has potentially an NBA or European career ahead of him."
The same source, however, painted a far bleaker picture regarding Davies' academic progress than Drury did.
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Provo basketball fans have a lot to look forward to because the younger Collinsworth will be just as good as Davies and just as heavily recruited, Drury believes.
He said Kyle Collinsworth, who can play point guard, shooting guard or on the wing, has grown a couple of inches since last year and is now 6-5 or 6-6. He could get to 6-8 or so.
"He might be the best player in the state right now," Drury said, making that early season matchup with Lone Peak and Tyler Haws a little more anticipated than it already was.
The same local schools that have offered Davies have offered Collinsworth. Out of state, Washington State knows the family well, having recruited Chris Collinsworth, and seems the most interested right now, Drury said.
The coach said some schools aren't after Kyle because they believe he will follow his brother to BYU. "That would be a mistake, because he's going to listen to everybody and make up his own mind," Drury said.
-- Jay Drew
I've been getting a lot of reports about the recruitment of Davies, some conflicting with each other, and I figured the coach with the most state titles in Utah prep basketball history would give it to me straight. Over the years, Drury has been one of the most frank, honest coaches I have covered.
"He's good," Drury said. "He barely turned 17, so he's still going to grow a few more inches. He's got a 7-foot-4 wing span, he runs well and he's an adequate shooter for a 6-9 kid."
Fast fact: Davies is actually younger than Timpview's 6-foot-6 Bronson Kaufusi, the junior-to-be who has committed to play football for BYU but could very well get some basketball offers.
Drury confirmed that Davies has been "blowing up," as they say, with some great games against some of the best competition in the country this summer. Lately, almost every school in the Pac-10 has called Drury, as well as what he called "a prominent basketball power in the Pacific Northwest." That would be Gonzaga, obviously.
Locally, BYU, Utah and Utah State have extended scholarship offers and have been on him for years. Davies is African-American, LDS, and was adopted at birth.
So, coach, which lucky school is going to get this kid?
Drury said he talked with Davies two weeks ago before the Utah Pump-N-Run Red team left for Las Vegas, and that Davies was "entirely open" at the time.
"When he gets back, we will talk and start narrowing it down so we can be fair to the schools he won't be considering so they can make other plans," Drury said.
Then the coach said something that might make coaches at BYU, Utah and other places cringe: "I would love to see him play for Stew. Of course, every player I have had, I wanted them to play for Stew."
Stew, of course, is Utah State basketball coach Stew Morrill. Drury and Morrill grew up together and are close friends.
Drury quickly added that ultimately it will be Davies' decision, and Davies' decision alone.
"My role with Brandon will be more as a veto voice," he said. "If I say anything, it will be to discourage him from going somewhere he won't fit. I've had tons of players go to BYU and have good experiences there, so I am not going to tell him not to go there, obviously."
Drury is more involved in Davies' recruitment than he would usually be because Davies has been raised by a hard-working single mother who adopted him when he was a baby. She is not savvy to the recruiting game and has asked for help.
The parents of Provo junior Kyle Collinsworth, who will be one of 2010's top in-state recruits, are very involved because they went through the process a few years ago with their son, Chris, a BYU player who is currently on an LDS Church mission. Church leaders, caring neighbors and his club team coaches are also involved.
"His mother has done a wonderful job raising him, but the neighborhood around him has helped raise him, too," Drury said. "He has sat at a lot of kitchen tables in this area, doing his homework."
Speaking of which, Drury said that while Davies is not a super student, he is on track to pass the NCAA clearinghouse "if he does everything he's supposed to do" this coming school year.
Another source very close to Davies, who asked to remain nameless, said "he would like to go to BYU. His mother wants him to go to BYU. He is not the type of kid to leave town too far. He will probably want to play in front of his family and friends. He has potentially an NBA or European career ahead of him."
The same source, however, painted a far bleaker picture regarding Davies' academic progress than Drury did.
---------------------------------------
Provo basketball fans have a lot to look forward to because the younger Collinsworth will be just as good as Davies and just as heavily recruited, Drury believes.
He said Kyle Collinsworth, who can play point guard, shooting guard or on the wing, has grown a couple of inches since last year and is now 6-5 or 6-6. He could get to 6-8 or so.
"He might be the best player in the state right now," Drury said, making that early season matchup with Lone Peak and Tyler Haws a little more anticipated than it already was.
The same local schools that have offered Davies have offered Collinsworth. Out of state, Washington State knows the family well, having recruited Chris Collinsworth, and seems the most interested right now, Drury said.
The coach said some schools aren't after Kyle because they believe he will follow his brother to BYU. "That would be a mistake, because he's going to listen to everybody and make up his own mind," Drury said.
-- Jay Drew
2 Comments:
So, would Drury "veto" the Utes? Who would he veto?
I don't believe he would veto the Utes.
My hunch in talking to him is he would veto any school not in the West. Just a hunch.
-- Jay
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