SB Nation Denver: All Posts by Bob Bell

Malik Pope Looks To Return From Injury: 2014 Recruit Remains High Priority

2013-06-18T19:00:05Z

As the Gonzaga coaching staff continues to focus on building out a strong 2014 recruiting class, the one name that seems to always intrigue fans is Malik Pope. The 5* SF has been on the Gonzaga radar for a long time and has a skill set that is unique for a player his size.

Pope hasn't been able to make his mark on the AAU scene, as he is continuing to recover from an injury suffered during his junior season. According to his AAU Coach, LeRohn Dodson, Pope is getting closer to returning to action.

"He is rehabbing three times a week," Dodson explained. "His rehab is going well and he said that his leg is feeling stronger and better. We don't have a time-table, but right now we are hoping for him to be fully done with his rehab by the end of June."

While it's been frustrating that Pope hasn't been able to take the court, Dodson thinks the injury may prove to be a blessing.

"This injury has really humbled him and made him realize that everything can be taken away," said the Team Superstar coach. "He definitely feels blessed that he will get another chance to play. I hear a lot of maturity in his voice when we talk. I think the injury is going to put things into perspective and he will take advantage of opportunities."

As he gets ready to return to the court, Dodson already knows what parts of his game they will be working on.

"I think the biggest thing that I'd like to see him work on his post game," revealed Dodson. "Even with his size, he is a straight 3. Last summer he was 6'7 and now he is 6'9 and the doctors think he could still grow. I'd like to see him take advantage of his height and be able to post-up on smaller wings."

Even with his injury, recruiting has continued to stay strong for Pope. With that said, there are a few schools that are coming after him the hardest.

"In general I would say SDSU, Gonzaga, Kansas, Cal, Arizona, Louisville, Oregon, USC and Washington are coming the hardest. There are other schools that have offered like Miami, Texas, Georgetown and UCLA, but the other ones are coming the hardest."

Gonzaga has really been a steady presence in Malik's recruitment, with Donny Daniels continuing to take the lead.

"Coach Daniels has done a great job of recruiting Malik," Dodson explained. "He has done as good of a job as any coach and has established a relationship, which is reason why they are in there. He has stayed in contact and really developed that relationship. He has position Gonzaga to where they have a legitimate shot."

With a focus on academics, Pope is still awhile away from starting to take his official visits.

"He and I will sit and talk with his mom, but he definitely won't take any visits until the fall since he is currently in summer school," revealed Pope's AAU Coach. "Once school comes back in the Fall, he will set up some visits and come up with a list of schools."

Trio Of 2015 Guards Have Interest From Gonzaga

2013-05-29T19:07:17Z

While much of the 2015 recruiting attention has been focused on Kendall Small, it turns out the Gonzaga coaching staff has its eyes on two of the top wings on the West Coast as well. Conveniently for the staff, they also happen to be AAU teammates of Small.

As we recently reported, Small received an offer from Gonzaga during the April Evaluation period. He isn't the only member of the Superior Athletes AAU team to have a Gonzaga offer, as Mark Few officially offered Stephen Thompson Jr the same day he offered Small.

"Stevie is a deceptive guard," explained Don Small. "What Stevie has really worked on is getting to the lane and his mid-range shot. He has a deadly floater in his game."

Thompson has been on the Gonzaga radar since the start of his sophomore season, with the staff making a handful of visits out to watch him.

"He likes Gonzaga," Small said. "I have talked to him about Gonzaga and his father (the head coach at CSU LA) is intrigued by the school. They started looking at him during the high school season. Donny and Coach Lloyd went out and watched him like two or three times."

Jeremy Hemsley is the third talented prospect on the Superior Athletes team that also has the attention of the Gonzaga staff. With all three recruits on the Gonzaga radar, we wondered if there was a chance they might end of at the same college.

"I think it is very interesting as it could play out that way," Don said with a laugh. "I know Stevie, Kendall and Jeremy really like Gonzaga. UConn, UNLV and Boston College are hard after Hemsley. The interest is really starting to grow."

Big Offer For Small: Gonzaga Offers 2015 PG Kendall Small

2013-05-29T00:25:31Z

With David Stockton and Kevin Pangos both upperclassmen, Gonzaga must continue to plan for the point guard position in the future. While Josh Perkins has emerged as the priority recruit in the 2014 class, the GU coaching staff has long had its eye on 2015 point guard Kendall Small.

Small has kicked off the AAU season in impressive fashion, with his performances being raved about by numerous scouts. Even his father/coach has come away impressed so far.

"So far, it's going pretty good," said Don Small. "This is our first year with a new program and a new name, and we are 13-4 so far. He (Kendall) has played even better than I expected. There are some things you can't do at the high school level because of the people you are playing with. In AAU, you are surrounded by so much talent and you can see who is really good."

The past six months have seen Kendall really grow his game offensively, especially as a shooter.

"He is really getting his shooting touch back," Don emphasized. "He didn't shoot much in high school because he was taking everything to the rim, which is why he shot so well from the field. What we have seen in the club season is that his shot is really on from mid-range. He is also using his athletic ability to finish at the rim."

His impressive play during the first evaluation period caught the attention of Coach Few and earned him an offer from Gonzaga.

"Coach Few watched us play a team from Washington and I think it was the first time he saw us play this year. Kendall had a pretty good game and was probably the best guy on the floor. Coach Few talked to Stevie's dad (Stevie Thompson), who is a college coach, and told him that Kendall and Stevie had offers."

This was an extra special moment for Kendall, as he grew up watching Gonzaga closely.

"It was one of the moments where you think this is what we have been working for," Don said with a laugh. "He was very excited. I told him that Coach Few liked his game and what he did on the floor and that he had an offer."

With an offer in hand, the Small family is in the process of figuring out when to make an official visit up to Spokane.

"We have talked with them (the Gonzaga coaches) a bit," Don said of setting up an official visit. "We are going to try to do something mid-season in January. We want to be able to do it when it can be an official visit."

"He doesn't really have a favorite yet. He likes a lot of schools right now. What I have been saying is that Gonzaga, Arizona and Oregon have been recruiting him strong. He has mentioned San Diego St. and possibly UNLV as other schools he likes. We are going to wait it out and make the best decision possible."

Trey Kell Emerges As 2014 Target: Zags Eyeing 2014 Wing

2013-05-21T20:10:22Z

This also will be an important recruiting year for Gonzaga, with Olynyk gone a bit ahead of schedule and with starting guards Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell about to begin their junior seasons.

"We’ve got to pick up some guys and keep the thing rolling," Few said.

As hard as it is to believe, the backcourt tandem of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. only has two years of eligibility left. For this reason, the 2014 class has a strong focus on the backcourt, with Trey Kell of San Diego All-Stars Pump N'Run emerging as one of the top options for Gonzaga on the wing.

Kell is one of the best stories of the AAU season, as he used the first evaluation period to emerge as one of the top recruits on the West Coast.

"The thing about Trey is he is humble and hard working," explained his AAU coach Marshawn Cherry. " When he was a freshman, he was on our B team as a bench guy and was just a quiet kid. Going into last year, he had made it to our top team and cracked the starting lineup. We could see he was going to be a good player, but recently it went to a whole new level. He got confident and realized how good he could be."

The recent success stems from a strong work ethic, which Cherry says has helped Kell improve dramatically in the past year.

"I would say his explosiveness," Cherry said of the biggest improvement. " He has worked really hard on his first step and his ball-handling. He has always been a good three-point shooter but he has worked hard on his mid-range shot. He is a gym rat."

Despite an expanding recruitment, the SDA head coach insists that the talented guard is just starting to tap his potential.

"I'd say his body still needs developing. He has gained 10 pounds of muscle in the past two months. What you see now is his natural body, but he is going to continue to grow. His dad is 6'3 and his uncle is 6'7, so he is going to continue to get taller and fill out."

Right after the evaluation period, Kell received numerous offers, including one from Gonzaga.

"He has 16 offers on the table right now," Cherry said. "Gonzaga, San Diego St., Utah St, Pepperdine, USD, Oregon St., Nevada, UC Davis, UC Irvine and I'm forgetting some others. He recently started getting interest from Arizona St., UCLA, USC, Boston College and some others."

Since extending the offer, Donny Daniels has taken a lead in building a relationship with the talented wing.

"Gonzaga has been really good," explained Cherry. "Coach Donny is a great guy. He is exciting, funny and very lively. He seems like a really good guy and he is a straight shooter. Trey really likes talking to him and how exciting he is. They have done a good job talking to him so far."

Not surprisingly, Gonzaga is working to get Trey on campus for an official visit in the future.

"I'm not 100% sure when, but they said they wanted to get him on campus and give him the Gonzaga experience," the SDA coach said. "They want him to see the campus and meet the team and everything. They want to get him up there."

With another evaluation period in July, fans shouldn't expect a decision in the near future. However, it's likely Gonzaga will be one of the schools considered throughout the process.

"I would say Gonzaga is up there on the list," Cherry revealed. "He likes the school and the system. As far as his timeline, they (the Kell family) want to look at it at the end of the summer. They want the right fit both on and off the court. His family is high on academics as well. They are going to ultimately make the choice that is the best fit for him."

Gonzaga Remains Heavily Involved With Donaven Dorsey

2013-04-04T15:30:05Z

With transfers like Gerard Coleman and Angel Nunez becoming eligible next season, it's clear that the coaching staff has made length and athleticism on the perimeter a priority. This focus has continued with the 2014 recruiting class as well, with Timberline high school product Donaven Dorsey being one of the main targets.

Dorsey recently completed a tremendous junior season, which saw his high school team end its season with an appearance in the state tournament.

"Making it to state had a big impact on not just me, but the whole team," the 2014 wing emphasized. "We made a name for ourselves and really put our team on the map. It was a great experience and we had a really young team. With more experience and more years playing together, we can really do something great."

Like any young player, Dorsey continues to improve his game on the court. However, his biggest jump this season came as a leader.

"I think my biggest improvements this year were as a leader," said the Gonzaga recruit. "My freshman and sophomore year we had seniors and they ran the team. This year was my year to really become a captain and really just put the team under my wing."

With the AAU season set to kick off in April, the Timberline star is looking forward to facing some elite competition on the EYBL circuit with ICP.

"My focus is just to go out and play hard and get better. You are playing against the best players in the country and it's a great learning experience."

With the wing a huge area of focus for Gonzaga in 2014, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the coaches really made a push with Dorsey during his junior year.

"The relationship continues to get better," the Rivals 150 recruit explained. "They (the Gonzaga coaches) were at my games and showing their interest. They are always calling me and talking to me. It really shows they care. Coach Few has been talking to me a lot more and to have that means a lot."

Living just across the state, Dorsey was able to have a unique perspective on the historic Gonzaga season.

"That was great," Dorsey said of Gonzaga's success. "Coach Few and his staff, they work really hard, and they made it to the top. It was amazing to watch that and they brought me in and made it feel like I was part of it. It was really cool to be part of that."

Not surprisingly, his impressive season helped Donaven earn offers from Gonzaga, Portland St., Washington St., Washington and Oregon St.

"I wouldn't say that there is a school that is coming at me the hardest. I'm not saying that all of them are on me that hard. They are on me, but they are mellow about it because they know I am young and it's a big decision."

At this point, Dorsey isn't in a rush to take his officials visits or make decision. However, a trip to Spokane is something he plans to take before making a decision.

"I haven't really thought about officials yet because I still have my AAU season, so I'm just weighing my options on visits," the Gonzaga recruit explained. "I haven't been able to go visit (Gonzaga) yet. I might not have time to do that with all of my travel this summer, so if I can't, it's something I will do my senior year.

Grayson Allen Emerges As Priority Target For Gonzaga

2013-03-29T16:48:21Z

As Gonzaga continues to build off its historic season, bringing in high-level talent continues to be a priority. Elite guards have become the focus in the 2014 class, and one prospect that has really emerged on the Zags radar is Grayson Allen from Jacksonville, Florida.

After coming up just short of a state championship last season, Allen and his teammates were able to reach their goals in 2013.

"Our team was very successful," Grayson explained. "We won 24 straight games and then lost our last regular-season game to Arlington Country day, but I had to sit that out with a hurt ankle. We won seven games in a row after that to win state. We last won it in 2010 when Patric Young was on the team, and then last year, we made it to the semis."

With a season that saw him emerge as a national recruit, the Florida guard credits the extra work he put in for his improvement.

"I think I definitely improved over the season," The Gonzaga recruit said. "I was constantly working out with the assistant coaches and Coach Martin. My ball-handling has improved and it helps having a couple of seasons on varsity to help handle the pressure."

Allen will face an even bigger challenge this summer when he plays for the Southern Stampede on the EYBL circuit.

"I'm going to be playing with the Southern Stampede out of Augusta, Georgia. Last summer I was facing the pressure with only two offers and I didn't have what some of the others guys had. Now that I have the offers, a lot of the pressure is taken off and I can just go play hard."

The interest from Gonzaga came as a bit of a surprise for the 4-star guard, but the level of contact has been high ever since the offer came.

"I first heard from them in late January or early February," explained Allen. "I heard from Coach Lloyd and talked to Coach Few a few times as well. They came down three-to-four times to my high school and watched me play twice."

Coach Lloyd has taken the lead in Grayson's recruitment and has helped build a good relationship with the talented guard.

"I have a really good relationship with Coach Lloyd. We talk a lot and he got to know my parents. That's important. Coach Few and I have talked on the phone a couple of times."

Gonzaga has made Grayson a priority recruit in the backcourt and according to the Florida guard, the Zags are one of the schools coming on the hardest.

"There have been a few that have kind of stuck out, like Florida St. and Gonzaga," Allen said of the schools recruiting him the hardest. "I'd say that every team that has been recruiting me has been come-and-go during the season. They've all been consistent, but Florida St. and Gonzaga have been coming on."

With the AAU season set to kick off in April, the Providence school star is ready to balance the summer season and recruiting.

"I've been talking to my parents and I want to narrow things down with schools and start looking at visits in May. I'm not sure where I will vist, but Gonzaga is definitely a school that I want to make sure I see."

Gonzaga Continues To Eye 2015 Guard

2013-02-26T22:00:05Z

It has become clear that recruiting California is an emphasis for the 2014 and 2015 classes. With Gonzaga emerging as one of the top teams in the country, the Zags have been able to draw the interest of some of the truly elite prospects in the state.

One prospect that has long held GU in a high regard is 2015 guard Kendall Small. The talented point guard is in the midst of an impressive sophomore campaign and has made many strides as a prospect.

"He has made a lot of developments," said Don Small. "He is showing that he can be a leader as a sophomore. He has worked on his mid-range game. He has shot pretty good from the three-point line, about 33 percent, and has been very effective from the field."

As his AAU coach, Don has long emphasized a well-rounded game for his son, which has certainly been on display this season for Ocean View.

"He has always been a rebounder," Don explained. "When he was younger, he was one of the bigger kids, so he had to rebound. I knew he would be a guard, so I just made sure he had all the skills. I've tried to train him to be a complete player."

Kendall has been on the radar for Gonzaga for nearly a year and the coaching staff had a consistent presence at his games throughout the season.

"I've had the chance to meet with Tommy (Lloyd) and I've known Donny (Daniels) for awhile," Don said of his relationship with the Gonzaga coaches. "They have been out here quite a bit. Donny has probably been here four times this season and Tommy has been out twice."

With the AAU season rapidly approaching, it is no surprise that Kendall's recruitment has really picked up, with interest coming from around the country.

"Gonzaga and Arizona have been there since the beginning," said Don of which schools are coming on hard. "UNLV has come in as of late and we just started hearing from Oregon St. and NC State in the last month. Columbia came through and watched him and most of the Pac-12 is interested. UCLA and USC haven't really recruited him but it's early."

Since Kendall can't begin taking official visits for another year, the focus is on visiting local schools.

"Nothing right now, " Don said of visits. "He has been to UNLV and the local Pac-12 schools and Pepperdine."

"That is going to be a long trip," the Superior Athlete's AAU coach said of the trip to Spokane. "If it does happen, it would have to be in the summer since that is when we would be able to make it."

Gonzaga Continues Push For 2014 Recruit Malik Pope

2013-01-09T00:08:59Z

With the success on the court so far this season, it should be no surprise that the Gonzaga coaching staff is raising the bar on the recruiting trail. Despite a limited number of scholarship offers being made so far, the recruits that have received offers are highly impressive.

Perhaps no recruit has caught the attention of Gonzaga attention more than Malik Pope. The 2014 guard/wing is a consensus top-25 recruit due to his skill set and size. Pope really burst on to the recruiting scene this summer according to LeRohn Dodson, the director of Team Superstar.

"First off, I think he was just kind of blown away by all the attention," Dodson said of the 5-star recruit. "You're talking about a kid in March that was being recruited by Pepperdine and UC Davis. Then, after the first weekend of the season, he had about eight new offers."

While the scholarship offers and accolades are great, Dodson emphasizes that Pope is doing an excellent job of staying grounded through the process.

"We are just trying to keep him grounded," emphasized the Team Superstar director. "He is a grounded kid and I don't think any of that got to him. As he progressed, he started to realize he could be at that level. He did well against a lot of the bigger name kids and his confidence grew."

It's the combination of potential and confidence that really saw the Laguna Creek junior emerge with Team Superstar during AAU play.

"His strength is his skill set," Dodson said. "I believe, and I've been doing AAU for 16 years and was part of the EBO program that had about 20 pros, that his skill set for his size and age is off the charts. The way he handles, passes and shoots for a kid that just turned 16 and is close to 6'9 is special."

Although that potential has earned Malik numerous accolades, Dodson insists that there is still plenty of room for improvement.

"The big thing we always talk about with him is being more consistent. He is such a laid back kid and he doesn't always assert himself. I tell him that he is too good of a player not to impact the game in multiple ways."

"The second thing he needs is to get physically stronger. He can get his shot off but he is going to need to get stronger at the next level. He doesn't like lifting weights, but he is just starting to do that stuff. I don't know how much bigger he can get with his frame, but he can still get strong."

With the sudden burst on the recruiting scene, Pope and Dodson are still working through his list of impressive offers as he tries to get a feel for recruiting.

"Kansas, UNLV, Arizona, UCLA, Georgetown, Louisville, Baylor, Gonzaga and the whole Pac-12 really," Dodson said of the schools that have offered. "Probably everyone but Kentucky and Duke has pretty much offered at this point. When the schools started looking at him, he didn't really know the difference between them. We told him you need to watch games and see playing styles and coaching. I think he is just now becoming a basketball junkie and is starting to love it. He is watching on a nightly basis."

Donny Daniels has taken the lead on recruiting the junior guard and has made quite an impact so far.

"I think that Gonzaga has done a great job and Coach Daniels has done an outstanding job," explained the Team Superstar director. "They are probably one of the top schools recruiting Malik. Gonzaga and UNLV have been by campus to see him the most, and those two and Washington stay in contact and call at the right times. Coach Daniels has done a great job recruiting him."

One of the next steps that Malik will take in his recruitment is deciding when and where to take visits.

"I think he will wait until his senior year," Dodson said when talking about official visits. "We have talked about it between me and his mom. She wants him to focus on school and basketball and doesn't want him to take visits to miss school. We will kind of wait it out and maybe take a visit or two before AAU if it is on a weekend. If he took a visit, Gonzaga would probably be one of the schools he would visit and is probably one of those five top schools."