http://www.maxpreps.com/athletes/634uyspFU0OB_8mwlOFhJg/basketball-winter-10-11/profile-kevin-larsen.htm

http://wiki.allmetsports.com/all-met/players/montgomery/montrose-christian/boys-basketball/150947/

 http://www.gwhoops.com/default.aspx?mid=20110715151532484208

http://www.gwhoops.com/default.aspx?mid=20110621083312833150

I am really enjoying the power struggle over the links...

Good job putting offers out to both these kids!

 It's really just grouping things together in the recruits database. No worries. These were the first official offers.

Montrose 2010-11 video recap.

Did I read it right that Larsen is a top 50 recruit?  If so, glad to see we're in the mix.  That would make him the substitute for Copes, I guess.

I can't find anywhere that Larsen is listed as a top 50 recruit - he's not even listed in ESPN.  He probably is an excellent potential recruit but not as of yet top 50 type.

most montrose guys don't play aau. if u don't play aau the rankings services act like u don't exist. all these kids did was produce for one of the best high school programs in the country even on national tv. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-K7l1ogiMM

Oops.  #44 is his jersey number, not his ranking.  Doh!

Offers fron GW, VPI & Gonzaga.

Those on here who judge recruits by the other schools offering ought to be drooling over him.  Hopefully he realizes that a Danish guy is going to be much happier in an international city on an international campus in the heart of the nation's capital than he would be in Spokane or Blacksburg.

Larsen Steps up for Montrose (GW mention)

Larsen was on an unofficial visit last Wednesday at GW. BIG dude! emphasis on BIG. Head coach has placed a priority on him and carrera and thats why he was at the school in Rockville on the first day of the contact period.

A perfect fit.

Great school for him in the same area he has been acclimated to.

Helene Esther Martelli

Er du på besøg på George Washington University idag?

• • 

    Kevin Larsen Ja, det var meget nice!

    Sunday at 9:39pm · Like
  • 

    Bob Mentzinger G-dub!

Anyone know Dutch and can translate? (I know what "nice" means but any particulars on the visit?)

That was Danish, not Dutch.

The translation:

-- Are you visiting the George Washington University today?

Larsen: Yes, it was very nice!

That was Danish, not Dutch.

The translation:

-- Are you visiting the George Washington University today?

Larsen: Yes, it was very nice!

I don't know Mentz.  I always had a mental image of you that was more like this:

 Here's an updated shot of Mentz:

Herve, the year of your photo, I went to a Holiday party dressed as that.  complete with fake chest, wig, and a decorative bird stuck to my forehead.   That was a good one.

Aside from LC's crush on Iturbe and Hatchet Man's infatuation with Mary Kay Nordling, has GW ever had a "metrosexual" on the roster?

 I have a giant Fabio cut out in my living room.  I find his presence comforting.

That should have said Halloween Party.  Kind of funny if I showed up to to a holiday party dressed like that.

Very similar hair-do and physique when I was a GW student. So, yes. Spot on.

Danish, Dutch, it's all Greek to me. In Maine, we translate English into English.

And I've seen what most of you look like.

Mentz, your openess has inspired me to post my picture -- And now thinker is revealed!!!!!!!

Article is about Montrose's strength and conditioning program, but it mentions Larsen as the winner of the "Iron Mustang" award this year.

 So presumably Larsen is waiting 'till the Spring to decide, yes?

If you think Larsen is still considering GW after sitting behind the bench with his mother through the Loyola debacle, Montrose will be on ESPN playing a game in Texas at 9:30 tomorrow.  Just in time so you can catch it after getting home from the Bradley game.

Do we really even have a legitimate shot at landing Larsen? Can't imagine we do  

 Yes, we have a very legitimate shot and the coaching staff is still optimistic. He's attended many GW games this year.

I don't know any inside stuff on it - but I don't see why we wouldn't still have a chance.  He's been to at least three games and it should be pretty clear to him that he'd probably start and play major minutes right away.  Some kids value that.  Also as another European kid, being in DC - which he's already familiar with could be a plus, as would be the 3 other international players who'd be his teammates.  Obviously the academic side could be what he wants too.  So you just never know.

I like our chances with Kevin. No inside, just a feeling.

Ok, well I am still hopeful then if you are.  

On ESPN tonight, 9:30 EST, per his FB feed:

Kevin Larsen

Playing on ESPN on 9.30 easfern time

 And he's recently "friended" Armwood

Anybody else watch this?  This is my scouting report, though note that I missed most of the first quarter: 

Larson is big and athletic.  He looks like a legit 6'10", 240 -- but he's no stiff.  He can move for a big man. Physically, he reminded me of Kevin Lyde from Temple (for those who remember him).

It was hard to judge his offense because he was the team's 5th option and despite playing almost the whole game that I saw he didn't touch the ball on offense more than a couple of times.  

That said, the two shots I remember showed a lot of potential. On one, he caught the ball about ten feet from the basket on the right side, and made a very quick fluid dribble to his left (toward the basket) and threw it in from about four feet over a defender who was caught flat-footed.  On another, he caught it in the post and showed a nice form on a 4 foot turnaround over the defender. Shot didn't go down, but it looked nice.   

However, here's the problem.  He looked EXTREMELY raw on defense and rebounding.  He consitently looked lost on defense -- not that his man scored (other team never fed the post), but he was slow to provide help defense and rotate and seemed unsure how to get through screens.  

On the rebounds, he looked even worse.  I'm not sure he had more than a board or two while I was watching.  The problem was that when the shot would go up, he seemed to not know where to be to get the boards.  He was often out of position and/or having trouble finding his man to box out. and when someone else got position on him, he didn't fight through it or contest the boards at all.

Likewise, off-the-ball on offense, he seemed a little unsure.  His screens weren't very hard and he didn't seem to know where to be. Then again, it's just a high school team, not college and i don't watch much HS so maybe that's all pretty typical of  a HS player.

My conclusion is that this is definitely a kid we'd want to land.  That size and athleticism combo isn't something you find very often, and he could become an excellent offensive player.   But based on that one game I saw -- and it's just one game for a HS kid, and on national TV nonetheless -- I wouldn't expect him to be ready to play defense or rebound for a couple of years.

I'll add that the ball was in his hands, down 2, with time running out.  He had an open 3 which in retrospect, he should have taken.  Instead, he spotted an open teammate but his pass was deflected just enough for time to run out before a shot could be attempted.  Had the pass gone through clearly, it would still have to have been a very quick shot but it looked viable.

If he signs, I will be very very happy!

Forgot that one, MV.  While the play didn't work, it also showed his offensive potential and his rawness in one play.

For those who didn't see it, Larsen set a high screen for the guy with the ball, the teammate drove and both defenders went with him.  Larsen was still hanging out at the three point lane.   The guy with the ball went in the air and had nowhere to go and couldn't get the shot off, so he inexplicably threw it to Larson at the three point line with like 1 second left. Larson started to heave a 3 at the buzzer (though he didn't have a great handle on the ball so it would have been a true prayer) but spotted Michael Carrera underneath -- so Larsen threade a beautiful pefect pass through the defense to Carerra, but unfortunately Carerra caught the pass and started to lay it in right as the buzzer sounded. 

More awareness would have told Larsen that he didn't have time for the pass, but then again  the great vision and beatiful pass could have college coaches drooling.

Again, he could be great, but I won't be expecting a starter or a great reboudner right away.

On the plus side, maybe Larsen's rawness will make some of the big boys less enthusiastic about recruiting him and help land him at GW.  If he was dominating prep leagues, he'd probably be going somewhere else.

I agree, if he isn't racking up points because he is not a top option on offense, the big time programs may glance over him.  GW needs to stay on guys like this, hopefully get them to sign, and then work to develop their skills over time.  We simply aren't going to get 6-9 guys who rack up a ton of points and rebounds (those guys go to Syracuse).  Based on FQ's post, I would be ok with his rawness on defense.  Let him spend some time with a big man coach and learn some D.   

 First time watching him last night, decently impressed. He definitely is huge. The guy I actually was more impressed with was Carerra, he is a junkyard dog. NOt sure if he's big enough to do that in the A10 though. If he was 2 inches taller...

Two words... 6'10"...  240

Bring it on.

DEA, if you could put MC's motor into KL, then you would have a deal.

Montrose won the Iolani Classic in Hawaii.  Carrera tournament MVP.  Larsen averaged 4 points for the tournament.  Some video clips here.

Iolani, is one of those "other" schools in Hawaii... Notable grads do include Prof. Toru Tanaka. I am wondering if anyone remembers. If you happen to be even older, you may remember Prince Kuheo Kalanianaole.

 Professor Tanaka used to bless the wrestling ring with scramental salt and then use it as a dreaded foreing object to blind Bruno Sanmartino or Pedro Morales...good times, good times.

 Anyone seen this guy play this season?  The last piece to the puzzle is a big who's a banger...

seen him listed at 6'8-6'10 anybody have anything to say on him? 

He's been to at least GW home games this year, once with his mother who was visiting from Europe.  I don't know how tall he is - but he was VERY stocky/well built.

 He's a big boy but not a good athlete. Quite frankly I don't think he's particularly good. He's a project (but a worthwhile one). Carrera is a player though. 

 Haven't seen Larsen in person this year but based on the tv game and stats, Larsen is a higher potential player but won't contribute right away. He's huge, both tall and wide but not particularly quick nor does he have any go to moves. However, with the progress that Pellom has made this year with these post coaches, I don't think it's crazy to think he could get significantly better here.

- I don't think we're recruiting anymore but whoever gets Carrerra is going to get a PLAYER. He is a junkyard dog, mean, strong and refuses to lose. Just not particularly tall. If he was 3 inches taller he'd be going to Maryland or a similar school. He may not fit our needs as we certainly need a prototypical big man, even if he's a project, but I would be very happy if Larsen decided not to come here and Carrerra did. 

Happened to be in the AD's Club last evening and started speaking to a high school coach.. He said his team scrimmaged Montrose in November and he was very favorably impressed with both Larsen and Carrera. Said he thought either would be a great fit for GW. Also was very high on both McDonald and Savage. Said he had seen both firsthand but McDonald on numerous occasions in the Summer Leagues and team camps. I don't think he knew that McDonald had committed at the time we spoke but he said it would be a great get for GW said he is a really physically strong guard.

Why Thanks CBO!!!! never would have figured that out without the report.

Your welcome Dolphin. Always good to hear someone's thoughts who actually does this for a living and has first-hand knowledge.

I'm with DEA on this.  Anya and Carrera are both "undersized", but both have huge reach (look at some Carrera video) and will be ready to go.

 Anya is 2013

CBO, don't mention it!

Agreed with DEA about Carrera - he is mean, nasty and has just the type of energy we need to rebound and do the little things. He plays MUCH bigger than his listed size because of his toughness. I would take Carrera over Larsen in a NY minute but would be very happy to settle for Larsen.

Interviews and highlights from recent TC Williams game.  Larsen, Carrera and also Zabo & Wainright.

CBO, I watched his TV game and posted about it higher in the thread. My impression was that he has tremendous size and I was surprised by his ability to move, pass and put the ball on the floor, but his teammates never fed the post that game so he barely touched it.  He didn't seem to have a nose for the ball on the boards and there wasn't a whole lot of defense played so it was hard to tell if he has the touch for that.

My takeaway (caveat - it's only one game so too small a sample size to really judge) was that he has Kevin Lyde-level potential (if you remember the Temple big man). He looked in limited opportunities like a potentially reasonable offensive option right away, though would probably need more seasoning in defense and rebounding before he'd be ready for starter minutes.  But he's big and strong enough that by his sophmore or junior season there is reason to hope that no team in the country could overpower us inside anymore on either end of the court. 

I'd "settle" for watching him become the "gold tooth guy" in a Colonial uniform that I've referred to in the past.  Rebounds, plays defense, intimidates opponents driving the lane, etc.  Scoring is an absolute bonus but not at all essential.

According to Josh Barr's tweet, the whole GW staff is at the Montrose game tonight.  Looks like they're puting on the full court press for Larsen.  This is despite the Landon @ Episcopal game happening at the same time.

Turns out that Montrose looses to Coolidge and coach Vaughn Jones.  Lots of dynamics at work there.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/todays_paper?dt=2012-01-27&bk=D&pg=3

http://www.washingtonpost.com/todays_paper?dt=2012-01-27&bk=D&pg=4

MC (13-2) : Anderson 23, Carrera 10, Wainwright 8, Zabo 4, Blossom 2, Larsen 2. 

LANDON VS EHS game is tonight.

Duh.  That explains why I couldn't find the score anywhere.  thx

Is it just me, or is anyone else concerned with the box score number 2 next to Larsen's name.  I  have seen enough of a center with too many 2s posted by his name in the box score.

LSF, if Kevin can provide consistent defense and rebounding, then I'm not at all concerned.  He's about the 5th or 6th option offensively on this team.  MC's top 6 against this years top 6 from GW would be an interesting and unpredictable game to watch.

Let's not get that crazy MV. GW would beat Montrose handily. They are very good but not that good.

Article and extended highlights here.  The Larsen clips are mostly blockouts, a couple of nice passes and his 2 points.  #1 on Coolidge looks like a player.  Hopefully we'll have an in with coach Jones.

GW's landed some big men in the past that haven't been productive in HS but played for very good teams with several top players.  I don't remember it working out too well for GW in those cases.  Maybe this time it will be different if they land Larsen.

Look at the upside!  He's so underwhelming in HS that he's bound to surprise!  Right?  Right???

Seriously, I think he's a good kid with a huge frame and mobility and importantly, is coachable.  A nice canvas for the coaching staff to work with over a year or two.  Any contribution next year (IF we land him) is gravy.

Handily Seneca?  Anderson, Wainright, Carrera, Zabo, Larsen?  I think it would be a better game than you might think.

Will add to thenNot good experience with underwhelming big men in high school, but we'll see what shakes out if position is available.

MV, you are crazy as Sen says. Montrose can't beat Coolidge but they are going to give GW a game?  You have no idea of the difference between college basketball and high school basketball. Montrose would lose against some of the best DIII teams in America.  Plus, I have personally seen 6 Montrose games this season. They have some very good players who will eventually be good players in college. But I'll do you a favor and I'll ask Vetter what he thinks of your proposed matchup. After he says "get the f outta here" I'll try to get a serious answer as to whether they could hang within 30-40.

 Montrose would lose to GW by 50. THere's no comparison between a high school team and an A10 team. Doesn't matter how good they may be. 

 DEA, whatever you say you're the expert on everything BB but i think we can agree it would be close if KH coached the Colonials.

Yes, the coach who was responsible for the last 16-0 season in the A10 would lose to a high school team....

 Montrose used to scrimmage umd in pick up and win. Granted they did have Durant at the time. I don't think it's unreasonable to think Montrose would give gw a game.  Gw would win but I'd be closer than you think. 

#1 on Coolidge is junior Deshawn Mormon, his game looks very similar to Kethan Savage(Mormon may be a few inches taller than K.Savage), so I don't know how much interest GW would have in him at this point. I'm assuming GW views K.Savage and Joe McDonald as their backcourt of the future and will focus on recruiting frontcourt players. D.Mormon came into this season as an unknown, but his stock is rising with the big game he had against Montrose and another impressive performance in a Coolidge win against a Virginia public school that featured a top 10 junior.

GW would beat Montrose Christian handily. When you see a guy like Montrose senior Justin Anderson, who looks like he could be a double-digit scorer in the ACC right now, you could be fooled into thinking his team could beat a college team. But there is a huge difference between competing in high school and college. No matter how great of a high school player a guy is, 99% of the college players are just stronger, faster and smarter. That's why a lot of freshman(regardless of how much hype they recieved in high school) will have struggle during that first year.

Thank you Thomas/DEA for stating what should be the obvious to anyone who follows high school and college basketball.

This is like the classic message board dumb discussion where people debate whether Kentucky could beat the Wizards or whether Alabama could beat the Manning-less Colts.  No,GW would not sturggle with these high school kids.

 DEA, i guess they fired Hobbs because he was such a great coach. i obviously don't know the BB scene like you where is Hobbs COACHING this year i missed it? 

$ article in MDHigh.com says Larsen has offers from George Washington, Ole Miss, Providence, Richmond, Temple and Virginia Tech.

I wonder if Temple going to the Big East is going to sway Larsen?

BUMP. Any insider word on Larsen? 

Larsen and 2013 target Corban Collins played in the "Signed" game of the Charm City Classic yesterday.  Says (Signing Soon) next to both of their names.

BIG visit this weekend.

 Larsens Mom just added Hajj Turner as a Facebook friend. 

I think his recruiting is heating up.  From what I had heard, he didn't have direct contact from the coaches during his season per his own recruiting instructions.  However, his mom and ML were in contact with each other via text throughout his season.  He was GW's number one target, at least in February and they are pretty confident that they have a shot at him.

don't think he's that good, but we need a big man who can contribute after Pellom and Dwayne leave. So in 2 years.

Scouting video from the wolfpacker

Associated discussion on Rivals.

No news.  Just another recruiting web site linking him with us.  Carrera looks like the backup plan.

Kevin, if a 100 post thread named after you is what it takes to convince you to commit to GW, consider it done.

Just watching a few clips a thought came to mind.... Larsen is a big who excels horizontally versus, say, Pops or Nnoko who play vertically.  We've been looking for a big who can replicate what we saw with Pops:  A shot-blocking dunker who gets his rebounds right around the rim.  Mainly bouncing up and down within a few feet of the basket.

Larsen has a different game.  He has good speed to get to a spot where he needs to be to set a pick or catch a ball.  He's actually very active running around the key in the video I've seen.  When he sets a pick, it's about four feet wide and his width and massive legs seriously impede anyone trying to run around him.  He's also great at clearing out a big area with his arms to box out or clear a path for a driving teammate.  He has good vision for a big and made many nice passes in the context of the offensive set or to fast breaking teammates.

While I'm sure I'll be frustrated when he tries a weak layup under the basket instead of stuffing it, I'll llok for opponents faceplanting into his picks as an alternative form of satisfaction.

Also noting again that Larsen won the weightroom award for Montrose last year.  Kid is solid muscle.

BM, agreed!

Vetter has a fairly advanced program. I still think that we may find that Larsen will benefit from a very tailored program to basketball and his personal needs. Also, we have to remember his age. He wont be a Les Anderson or an Oscar, but we should see improved hops in the next year or two. He is very mobile and wins his boards with good technique on the floor.

  http://www.themarsreel.com/2012/04/montrose-christian-season-mixtape-2011-12/

 Marcus Helton ‏ @MarcusHelton

Montrose Christian 2012 C Kevin Larsen said hes made his college decision, but will wait another week or two before announcing it.#dmvhoops

:)

 Marcus Helton ‏ @MarcusHelton

Montrose Christian 2012 C Kevin Larsen said hes made his college decision, but will wait another week or two before announcing it.#dmvhoops

 Based on what a few players have said, he is coming. 

Coach Shop ‏ @MontroseHoops

Unofficially @MontroseHoops F Kevin Larsen with 22 pts, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and MVP in @TheCapClassic District game.

Let's hope it doesn't change his suitors or hopeful decision.

Seems that it would show Kevin how important is to be here at GW, with players he knows.

 Link

Montrose Christian pecking order changes for a night

While Anderson and Carrera play in headline game, Larsen earns MVP in preliminary game at Capital Classic

Check out the very last line.

http://www.csnwashington.com/college-maryland/news/cassell-jr-officially-commits-to-marylan?blockID=694266&feedID=6360

Video from the prelim game.  Most of the Larsen highlights are in the begining.  They must've missed the rest of his 24 points.

 Link BM

Oops.

Link

Looks like he was playing against mid/low Div 1 players.  He didn't have the numbers to be selected to the main event, but the DC team sure could've used his services.

Word in the stands was that he was supposed to play in the main event but organizers didn't want to have 3 montrose kids in the big game for political reasons. a true PF or C was noticeably absent from the main game.

thought larsen was versatile and his skill set was underrated. scored in a number of ways. first time seeing mcdonald. impressed by hs ability to rebound the ball and defensive instincts.

One more for Larsen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZozNO6ybzTA&feature=youtu.be

I just can't agree with those who are saying he isn't very skilled. he's definitely more than a raw project. When the guy hands him the trophy and asks "where are you guying to school" i thought he said george washington at first. But he didnt.

 That's kind of strange because he asks where are you going to college and Larsen does say something, and then he says "that's your choice? Remember this...". I'm no lip reader but it didn't seem like he said George Washington or GW.  It's just hard to tell.

This video of Larsen does get me more excited about him. He would be a real big man for us and he has the size to be a physical force in the A10.  Carrera is out of the picture so here is hoping that Lonergan can land Larsen.  

 That's kind of strange because he asks where are you going to college and Larsen does say something, and then he says "that's your choice? Remember this...". I'm no lip reader but it didn't seem like he said George Washington or GW.  It's just hard to tell.

This video of Larsen does get me more excited about him. He would be a real big man for us and he has the size to be a physical force in the A10.  Carrera is out of the picture so here is hoping that Lonergan can land Larsen.  

Maybe we need a lip reader.

I'm not a lip reader, but having rewinded a few times i think it goes something like this :        the guy:  "Where you going for college?"     Larsen:  "I dont know yet."       the guy:  "You got some choices?"     Larsen:  "Yes."      the guy:  "Remember this,  ___  the basketball ... "            If Larsen ever comes in to read this, he must think we're lunatics.  

"Just remember this, use basketball..."

He still looks too soft to the basket on his layups.  6'8" looks right.

 Bad Lip Reading

I don't know what he said for where he is going...but I don't believe that he said any college by name. The guy handing him the trophy asked him after that "do you have choices?". This means that he did not give a flat out answer. 

Guy giving out trophy definitely said, "You got some choices?" Can't read into that too much.

I have a good feeling on Larsen 

 Marcus Helton ‏ @MarcusHelton

Add Temple and St. John's to Kevin Larsen's list of considerations, along with Va. Tech, GW, Providence, Marquette and Gonzaga.

 More Twitter talk

2012 Montrose Christian 6'10" center Kevin Larsen will announce his college decision this week. George Washington is considered a favorite.

Can anyone recall a circumstance quite like this one?  We're in the running for a player sought after by a number of majors.  We're not an afterthought or a longshot.  This isn't an early signing so there is plenty of drama regarding whether we will actually sign this player.  When was the last time GW was in the running for a player against quality schools this late in the game, with a legitimate chance to sign the player?

I know, MV, it's been at least a month.

Comprehension really isn't a strong suit of yours Dolphin, is it?  I realize that we've signed players in April in the past.  What I'm asking is the combined circumstances of this sought after a player by this level of competition (other schools interested) where we have a legitimate shot.  Put another way, where we've won a recruiting battle against major schools (in April/May).

I can't recall us winning this type of battle, particularly for a big man. We  recruited Mike Brown very early on and I think he was more of a sleeper than Larsen. Yinka, of course, was a foreign player that we also recruited early and often. Can't recall another quality wide body that has played for us in the last 25 years. The delay is causing  all of us I'm sure a great deal of uneasyness. But maybe this is a new era in GW recruiting, what with the coaches' successes already in the area and beyond.  We'll see.

We beat Miami and a bunch of other top schools for Katuka.  He was supposed to be the second coming of Yinka, the best bigman since Mike Brown, what we need to dominate the A-10 blah blah blah.

Mike Brown a sleeper? dont think so.

No, MV, I am a villiage idiot.

Newtman: Mike Brown was not heavily recruited, ie, he was a sleeper.

When did Dan Gadzuric sign wih UCLA? Seems like he was the last truly high profile player GW was publicly competing for against a major school.

1998. What I remember about Gadzuric's visit to GW during recruiting is that he was coming as a favor to someone connected to the progam. It never appeared like he was seriously considering us.

 Mike Brown was NOT a sleeper.  I'm friends with someone who played AAU with him in New Jersey.  He was all set to go to Syracuse when he was "persuaded" by  Gerry Gimmelstob to come to GW.  Pieces of paper with pictures of dead presidents were involved in the persuasion. 

Gimelstob took out the old wallet?  Wow, what a stretch of the imagination.  Interesting allegation Boston Colonial as I hadn't ever seen that information presented specifically on this site.  You are correct that Syracuse was the major player and I believe Rutgers and NC State each showed some interest as well.  Poog, good call on Gadzuric.  Based on my criteria, I'd have to agree that this was the most recent scenario prior to today with Kevin. 

Gadzuric came as a favor to Francisco De Mrianda - they were friends from Holland.

The only real comparison is that they were both big. Larsen is seriously considering GW: Gadzuric did not.  

Well congratulations to Dan for doing a good job of stringing along the GW fan base. Info wasn't as available as it is now but it sure seemed like we were legitimately in the hunt for his services. Of course, he never turned out to be quite the impact player everyone was anticipating so it's probably just as well. Would have helped us, but not for glimpses of the promised land that were dancing in our heads.

Maypoman, I'm sure we could find a way to rationalize that any solid recruit who turned down GW wasn't seriously interested.  I'm not suggesting that what you're saying is wrong, but for the purposes of answering the question I asked, Gadzuric most definitely qualifies.  He visited campus and it was publicly reported that GW was a finalist for his services. 

Can't we all just get along and hear the good news we're hoping to hear?

Poog, don't forget the recruitment of Luol Deng. We were in his final 3, but Dom told me back then that Missouri and Duke offered to raise a massive amount of money for Sudan relief (millions) and even though the family loved KH, there was no way we could match it.

But back to the point at hand, we'll know soon enough about Larsen. Like I said above, he sounds like a very skilled player and he can definitely move.  He'll have to adjust to the speed of the college game (especially for defense and rebounding), and I suspect that transition will go faster at GW than if he chooses one of the Big East schools trying to land him.

we were the frontrunner for allen iverson until the end.

You're right FQ. Deng was an even bigger fish GW tried to hook against a more notable institution. I wonder if Lonergan et al are going after more marquee players than Hobbs or just playing the publicity game differently regarding the players they're trying to recruit. I do like the buzz, though.

 Dan Gadzuric has been a NBA player for nine years. I don't think anybody is projecting that from Larsen right now. Forget the schools who are recruiting him, he is a serious work in progress and won't contribute much until most likely his junior year. He would get a decent amount of minutes next year because of his size but Gadzuric is a poor comparison. 

The kids who will probably come in and play next year right away are

- Patricio- My guess is he's a four year starter. Just an incredibly polished player for somebody his age.

Savage- Has a D1 body and has fared well against high levels of competition. Should be a bit of a learning curve but I expect him to be a 6th man type. 

McDonald- May be asked to start. May end up the best of the three but I think will have the longest learning curve of the three due to body type/competition in hs.

DEA: Nobody is comparing Larsen to Gadzuric nor was that the context in which his name was raised. MV was looking for past prospective GW recruits for which we were legitimately recruiting against major schools. Gadzuric's name was mentioned. So was Deng's. Eventual winners UCLA and Duke are most definitely in the major school category.

If any prospectivie international students are reading this, there is no greater city than Washington, nor better school than GW for someone of a foreign background.Our basketball players, for example, have met the president of the United States, Barack Obama.

And if the prospective student happens to be tall and sturdy, then the opportunities of playing time on the basketball team are great, along with many other activiities and opportunities. An easy place for Mom to visit from overseas. Home of the Danish embassy and many other embassies, depending on where an international student is from.

 and if you miss food from home you can always take the metro to petworth and eat all the pickled herring and gravlox you could ever want at domku!

George the Hippo Hunter! 5 gold stars for knowing that restaurant! Amazing!!!!

Always interesting to see if recruits go for the newest suitor or opt for the one who has shown long-term love. Also fascinating to know if schools are actually in play or if athletes just like the attention and free visits that come with not announcing their choice until they feel like being done with it all. 

Assumptions are interesting things.

So here is my question: obviously we're very hopeful to land Larsen.  What happens if we don't?  Is it too late to get a new recruit or are we just going with what we have now at center?

Hello Michael Carrera!

Is there some info Hatchet Man?

One wonders why the delay in Larsen's decision - is/was he waiting on test scores?

My guess is Larsen and Carrera want to announce together

As I said, you guys are assuming a lot. It is fun to watch.

I dont think that assuming two good friends want to announce together  is  "assuming a lot".

I have no inside info, but it has seemed like he is our fall back.

Larsen is going to happen, it's just a matter of when. Hopefully soon.  

 mm''

 mm''

 Who is our fall back Carrera or Larsen?  Carrera is getting interest from Pitt and Duke, so I am not sure I would use the word fall back.

 Who is our fall back Carrera or Larsen?  Carrera is getting interest from Pitt and Duke, so I am not sure I would use the word fall back.

LA Fan, it sounds as if Carrera is GW's fall back, even though most people consider Carrera to be a better college prospect. Carrera is probably more ready to make an immediate impact in college than Larsan is, but that doesn't mean Larson won't end up becoming a better player.

Has Stu Vettor advised Carrera and Larson to hold out on making a decision in order to get more high-major offers?? It definitely seems as if both players are getting more high-major interest as the days go by.

The only question is which poster gets to make the exclusive announcement on GWHoops.com. My bet is on BM.

I wondered if you were aware of how much effort Mr. Lonergan and Mr. Sutton put into recruiting?

It is of my understanding that they are a fairly new constalation in GW? 

What is your view ?

I do want to tell you that if you sign Kevin Larsen and make him a posibility in offense you will not be disapointed.

Being the 5 option in offense makes it hard to score right?

He was a allstar member at the euro cup U-16 leading his team with offense ;)

Hope you all have a great weekend and i hope you will all have a great monday!

Greetings from DC.  It is my understanding that Kevin will be fed the ball constantly in the Post and will be able to score A LOT.  Lonergan loves to give big-men the ball.  Kevin would be a key offensive role on GW's team.  We sincerely hope he will join us!!

Mentz, I wanted to get the exclusive interview, but Montrose has set up a massive presser where all his teammates, friends and family will first talk about Kevin at length.  Then he'll go backstage, the lights will dim and he'll come out to spotlights and fireworks in a GW uni.

BM, I heard that, due to the immense nature of the event, they will be holding the Presser in front of a live audience in Cleveland.

Thanks for the post from Europe.   Larsen will get a lot more opportunity to score at GW than he did in High School.   Coach Lonergan's offense gets the 5 open around the basket and gives them opportunity to hit short jumpers.   In High School, Larsen played with some wing players who were talented, but who never wanted to pass the ball inside. 

 "The Danish Decision"

Kevin Larsen, District All-Stars (Montrose Christian/Undecided): “When you play for Montrose Christian and you go to an All-Star game, everybody knows you, so I expected [to stand out] a little bit.”

“I’m looking at and George Washington, Providence, Marquette, Gonzaga and V-Tech. … I made my decision, but I’m not making it official yet. [I will in] Probably a week or two. I’ve got to get some academic stuff to see if I can get in.”

This looks like a good reason for the delay

 Hard to believe he'd still want to go to VTech after all this.

Don't know what to make of that quote other than it does not make me feel good about the prospects of his coming to GW.

Don't know what to make of that quote other than it does not make me feel good about the prospects of his coming to GW.

 I am not sure that it is bad LSF - it sounds like he is waiting for a senior report card that will lift his grades up to where they need to be.  I always think it sounds bad when they are talking about academic issues in July.  We know where that typically leads.

If he's worried about grades then it's only good news for us. None of those other schools have the academic standards that we set. The only reason we should be concerned is if he's struggling to meet the baseline NCAA academic standards, which would mean, if that's the case, that we shouldn't be considering him anyway. So, as far as I'm concerned, all signs point to yes. Let's just let him finish out the semester and get his grades to an acceptable level for our admissions people to sign off on it so that we can retain some semblance of integrity unlike that school up the street which admitted Dr. Iverson Ph.D. those many years ago.

I know you're fairly young, but you should realize that Dr. Iverson was fairly close to attending GW until he was poached away.

If I'm not mistaken, GW was less interested (or not at all) after the news came out that he was involved with the giant fight at the bowling alley  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Iverson#Early_life

You are wrong, squid. Mike Jarvis stepped into the Iverson recruiting scene after the bowling alley and incarceration. One reason why GW fans thought he was coming to Foggy Bottom was that Jarvis was an early advocate for Iverson. But once Big John stepped into the picture, Georgetown was going to land his services. We went the same route of rehabilitation with Richie Parker but the negative reaction was so strong that the school backed down (after doing a less than brilliant job handling the uproar by thinking that a scholarship for the victim made everything better). While I supported the Parker recruitment, claims of GW's pristine recruiting past are best left in dreamland.

going off thread for sure but:

http://www.gwhoops.com/default.aspx?mid=24186

Rabbi, I don't get your post at all.  If our academic standards are higher (and I'm not suggesting they are for basketball players), then it is very feasible that Kevin has met the NCAA baseline requirements but has not met GW's more rigid standards.  This would then favor Providence, Marquette or Gonzaga (I'm eliminating Virginia Tech...he's not going there) if these school's standards are less rigid than ours.  And, if this turns out to be the issue why we don't get him but one of these other schools does, then I'll again be forced to call into question this school's commitment to this program.  We've probably been the most intelligent team in the A10 for some time now; it's time to become one of the better teams on-court.  (Again, I'm not suggesting this if he fails to meet NCAA requirements.  But if he can play for Providence, Gonzaga or Marquette, then he should be able to play at GW as well.)

Larsen is coming here. Just because it hasn't been announced doesn't mean it isn't done. 

I don't want to speak for Rabbi- but what I believe he is saying is that the other schools have such low academic standards (and, as you've noted, GW, at least in the past, placed "handcuffs" on recruiting by imposing more stringent standards), that getting academic stuff in order would seem to favor GW--because they are the only school with "legit" academic criteria on that list. 

While it is up for debate as to whether GW should impose higher academic standards than those imposed by the NCAA (or Providence, Gonzaga, Marquette), that is what Rabbi is referring to.

 Thanks Poog and herve, I stand corrected.

Guys, Larsen is from Europe -- isn't it more likely that by  "get some academic stuff" he means he has to get transcripts or verification or something from Europe than it means he has to wait for his grades?  

Lonergan hasn't exactly been recruiting borderline academic cases, and it's pretty standard for players from other countries to have trouble getting thier academic stuff from their home country verified or certified or whatever has to happen.

Again, just baseless speculation, but I don't see a reason to assume the worst (especially since DEA -- who is usually reliable with information, if not analysis -- says he's coming.

 I have to agree with Free Quebec 100%. I'm almost sorry I posted that link and highlighted the statement. Cant wait till he makes it official. Go GW.. Lots to be excited about

i checked with my source and was told today that the kid has made or is making two other visits. I was also told again that the buff and blue is not recruiting carrera. We offered him early last year but havent recruited him since. im guessing its because we nabbed paris and garino. apparently larsen is a very good student so im guessing Quebec is on to something about the international ncaa process. im not sure what to believe in the media right now. information is inconsistent and my colleague wont say.

Maybe I am dense.  Indaknow...when you say he has made or is making 2 other visits, are you talking about visits to GW or elsewhere?  Isn't anyone else confused by  the statement "  “I’m looking at and George Washington, Providence, Marquette, Gonzaga and V-Tech. … I made my decision, but I’m not making it official yet.  If he has made his decision, why is he looking at 4 other schools?

One of my kids made her decision on her first college visit.  She went through the motions for the next three visits because we told her she should give them a chance.  She never wavered.

if Kevin knew how many of us have placed our lives on hold waiting for his decision, he would go ahead and announce.

 I'm not crazy about the additional visits.  If he made his decision 100 percent then why take them?  And if the visit is to Virginia or St. Johns or Seton Hall etc. you know they are going to make the heavy pitch about playing in a BCS conference. I will remain optimistic and keep the blinders on, but I thought we were waiting on grades and not more visits.  

I have no concerns about any additional visits. If he just wants to see the other half to make sure about Foggy Bottom, that's great. If he has reservations about Foggy Bottom, best to dispel them and determine if it's best to sign elsewhere. Hopefully, it's a 4 year decision. It should be the right one for Larsen as a student and as a player.

Poog, thats far too rational an evaluation and should have no place in a fan's thought process.

Poog, I'm not even sure how to respond to that.  Of course we all want players who want to be at GW, consider GW their first choice, etc., etc.  However, this is not a quantifiable exercise.  He may see other schools and like certain things about said schools better while liking certain things about GW better.  In other words, the choice isn't always clear-cut and certainly, isn't always easy.  With that in mind, every GW fan has every reason in the world to be concerned about Kevin taking additional visits.  Less than a week ago, Kevin stated that he had decided on a school and the consistently reliable DEA indicated that this choice would be GW.  Today, he would like to visit a few other schools.  Why would any GW fan not be concerned about this?

Thanks, MV!  I hate when people make innoccuous statements, don't they realize there's shit to be stirred?

 200 posts - I hope he signs soon.  And Poog's level of calm and cool is beyond my comprehension.  We have been starving for a quality big man for way too long.

MV, I was saying that if he's met the baseline standards but not ours yet, and we weren't his choice, then he would just make his Providence or Marquette anouncement already. But if he is in fact waiting on grades, it may mean that we are his first choice and he wants to make sure he's eligible first.

Rabbi, I see your point now but hopefully, you can understand my initial interpretation as well.  I don't want to lose out on this player because he met the academic requirements of Marquette, Providence, etc. (low as they might be) but wasn't able to meet GW's standards.  As LA Fan alludes, I want a quality big man.  And I'll add,  that's academically eligible to play by the NCAA.

Orel, what would ever be the point of posting an innocuous statement on a message board?  Sounds like an oxymoron to me.  Then again, maybe you prefer a message board where someone makes a post and then the next poster agrees with that post and then the next poster posts to say what a great post that was, and then this cycle gets repeated several million times.  Sound good to you?

Sure seems like a whole lot of stuff being made up out of thin air. Not sure what elevated academic standards people think GW has over schools like Marquette and Providence but I doubt that Lonergan and his coaches would have been recruiting Larsen as long and hard as they have if the young man didn't project as a qualifier and admittable to GW. I fully expect Larsen to end up in Foggy Bottom (as has been strongly suggested all year) and suspect that we will have these yips set aside sooner rather than later. But if it turns out that Larsen decides to go elsewhere, God speed John Glenn. I don't really want a center so bad that I'd want GW to bring in a player who wouldn't be fully satisfied and excited about his choice to come to GW. I have strong faith in Lonergan and his coaching staff that they've targeted and will bring in the right players for this program. I'd be surprised, but not devastated, if Kevin Larsen wasn't one of them.

Here's what we can do to make our lives easier while we are waiting: start a new thread.

How much time have we all lost scrolling down that we could use to will Kevin Larsen to come to GW?

naw, lets keep this one going.   

So Larsen is a local standout, AND he's from Europe?  does it get any better than this?  Lonergan fulfilling his promises.

if i remember a comment in an earlier thread correctly, freshman aren't able to join the team on the italian trip?  could have been a nice way to get s cheap flight home ;)

True dat FBP. And good student, and fills a key need.

I believe the rules about trips have changed and that the incoming recruits are eligible to travel to Italy if they are enrolled in the summer.

 All members of the team including new freshman and transfers will go and that includes Kevin Larsen.

Aren't you annoyed you wasted all of that thumb energy scrolling...  

Aren't you annoyed you wasted all of that thumb energy scrolling...  

Depends on Monday's announcement.

PC Thread

Kevin Larsen signing thread

It's great to see GW recruiting better, but please connect the dots for me on Nero/Lonergan.  Background - I'm an alum, class of '71, so I go back to Fort Myer, even Babe McCarthy, Joe Lalli, and through the two older Tallent brothers, Ronnie Nunn, Walter Szczerbiak, etc.  I've lived and died (mostly died) with the teams since then.  Since I live in the SF Bay Area, it is a little harder for me to stay connected, but I did go see the team versus Cal in November.  Before the game there was a gathering where Patrick Nero spoke to the small assembled group of diehards.  He told us that, whereas sometimes we will be playing against more talented teams (like later that evening), this GW team will never be out-hustled or out-prepared.  It was bad enough that they coughed it up horribly in the last 6 minutes of the first half (prepared?), but I followed disappointing loss after disappointing loss, ostensibly to teams they should have beaten - you guys know.  With the record they had the year before, and Kromah and most of the rest of the team coming back, I was hoping for much better results from this team.   It also seemed to me that they weren't walking what Nero was talking.  You guys are incredibly connected to what's going on.  Can someone explain to me what happened, and why I should feel enthusiastic about next year and the future?  Thanks for taking the time to explain this to someone who loves GW Basketball, but is admittedly out of the loop.

The small picture is that last year we had a general lack of depth and talent with several key player comming back from injury (Kromah) or dealing with injuries (Smith and Pellom).  GW just didn't have the bodies to compete with the sharply improved schedule.

The big picture was that GW was comprised with players that were recruited to play under a dramatically different style of play (Hobbs') than what the new coach (Lonergan) has employed his entire career.  It was simply not a smoth transistion and it took several players too long to learn Lonergan's flex offense and tight man defense. 

Some players improved as the season progressed. Mikic developed a short game (but struggled in his 3pt shooting) and Pellom became a more complete low post scorer.  Others struggled mightily Kromah was rusty to start and continued to recklessly gamble on defense despite the coaches instructions otherwise.  Smith took a long time to get going comming back from his early concussion problems.  Most of the rest of the team simply couldn't shoot the ball and that is a real problem under a Lonergan offense.

The 5 man recuiting class is a result of Lonergan and staff realization that GW simply lacked the talent to compete against the top teams in the A10.  The players his staff is brining in are much more alligned with the style of play he will dictate.  There are shooters comming in, big men down low and tight man defenders.  The significant influx in talent is the most important development at GW in the last 4 years. 

If next year's team is going to compete for a top 3 spot in the A10, they will need a combination of existing and new players.   If Lonergan can convince Kromah to compete on every single defensive posession, GW will be dramatically improved.  The other question marks revolve around Smith becoming a more efficient scorer in the half court and weather McDonald can push the ball and get the team into their offensive sets faster than they were able to last season. The best players will likely be Pellom, Kromah, McDonald, Smith, Savage, Armwood and Paris/Larsen.  4 of the top are new.  That's all you need to know.

Forget about last year.  Transition year plain and simple.  Neccessary step back in order to take 2 steps forward.  GW has 3 new low post defenders and 3 new outside shooters. GW will still get dusted occasionally in the OOC vs top teams but will be a bitch to play in the A10 next year.  Expect Lonergan to be a major task master and extremely demanding on his players going forward.  I doubt any excuses will be accepted.  He'll push next year's team to get better as the season progresses and nobody's playing time will be garaunteed.  Good things await!

I agree bobo except I think Patricio Garino will also be a very significant contributor next year.

 I also believe that Garino, a 6' 5'" small forward from Montverde Academy in Florida, will be a very signicant contributor.

I had Garino on my list too but forgot to mention him (thanks Poog). If 3 of the 6 new players are ready to go from Day 1, GW will be in good shape.

 The truth is "the Other MG" we don't know what to expect this year. The recruiting class looks good on paper but we underachieved so greatly this past year that it's really tough to tell what we'll get. Obivously we all hope for a good year but there was nothing we saw last year that points to that. Recruiting is certainly important but coaching is just as important and we basically wasted the senior year of an elite point guard so I'm not sure why we should expect freshmen to be any better. I wanted HObbs to go and I supported the hiring of Lonergan but this board is under some crazy allusions right now if they thing GW is suddenly in amazing shape after the abomination that was last year. 

Garino is taller than 6'5". He's listed 6'7"

Thank you all, especially bobo, for taking the time and having the patience to explain this to me (and in living the agony of last season one more time).  I have to say I am more encouraged now, although very cautiously, Steven.  I walked away from the Cal game feeling that Nero's words were hollow, and the rest of the season only strengthened this impression.  He didn't say that there might be transition issues from one playing style to another, from previously recruiting one type of athlete to now play a game that might be challenging to them (good and acceptable reasons). He said out-hustle and out-prepare. I am tentatively back in the fold, and certainly look forward to the next three or four years for significant improvement - but they have broken my heart many times in the last 40+ years!

The adjustment problems between the players and coaches was much worse than that.  There was considerable miscalculation by ML about getting started and probably pushed the players harder than in retrospect made sense.  The players for their part were confused and disappointed by the firing of Hobbs and had a real hard time buying in to ML's schemes and playing style that he wanted.  Many players mentally checked out at times and there was open discord and disharmony behind the scenes at various points during the season.  The very uneven play we saw last year reflected that discord.

BTW, this kind of difficult adjustment is probably pretty common with coaching changes and I think that the coaches learned from it and all will be much better going forward.  But I do think that this played a big role in how the year played out.