linky

Good to hear, but I can't stop holding my breath till I see he's said it himself. 

Signing Larsen is arguably Lonergan's biggest accomplishment so far.  Lonergan said he wanted to get players that were also being recruited by lower tier ACC and Big East schools.  Larsen fits the bill for that.  For the first time in a long time, GW will be getting a big man that still needs to develop his game, but is also not considered a project.  We will get production from Larsen down low, whether it is next year, or the year after that. GW for once won't look so under-sized and under-skilled in the low post.

It is a good day for the program, and a good day for Lonergan.  He won a recruiting contest where the other schools weren't Stony Brook, Quinnipiac or Loyola.  They were national programs, and GW won out. 

Edgar Walker is reporting the same thing: " 2012 Montrose Christian (MD) center Kevin Larsen will commit to George Washington today, reports @Edgar_Walker."

Three Montrose kids to the same college in one year has got to be close to a new record.  One transfer, one walkon and one freshman recruit.

Well said La Fan.  The dire need to fill this particular position does make this a critical signing.  I suspect that Kevin will be called on to contribute next season out of pure defensive need.  I also expect that his game will improve considerably while at GW, and his game even at this point in time is arguably better than many might think.  This is tremendous news.  Congratulations to our coaching staff for making this happen, and to Kevin for making a great decision.

Good point, BM. Let's hope the pipeline continues!

Doesn't get much more Glocal (global + local) than a great Dane from Montrose.  

Velkommen til George Washington!

Good point, BM. Let's hope the pipeline continues!

So will that be all the schollies or is there room to woo Carrera?

That is all.  The most speculation about another transfer has centered around Kromah, but it seems unlikely considering he's already sat out a year and will end up playing only one more year if he transfers (I'd say its more likely that he transfers out after next season on the graduate student exception).

I'd say there's a fair mount of speculation that could still revolve around BB leaving, though it would be only that. Speculation.

Spectacular news. There's no way not to be impressed with how much our recruiting situation has changed in the last year. Question is now whether it will translate into Ws. I'm optimistic.

Fantastic signing.  Per the transfer, I'm a bit surprised Davis has stayed.  Doesn't look like Carrera will be making his way to Foggy Bottom. 

Will be interesting to see how little coverage the Post gives of this signee. I say it's one sentence buried in the notes section of the sports page. Meanwhile, full-blown, pull-out of Stoglin and exposes on EVERY incoming UMD recruit, including barely effectual transfers.

Is it official? 

Yep

Yes, Larsen announced for GW within last half-hour, has signed NLI. 

Bigger impact as a freshman: Kevin Larsen or Erik Copes?

Both projects but I'm betting on Larsen - if simply because Copes' freshman year was such a bust.

...and Larsen won't be playing behind 10 & 7, three year starter Mike Morrison.

I love the Larsen pick up but let's be real.  He's not an impact player.  Not yet.  He's a project (but a worthwhile one).  It may take until his junior year from him to make an impact.  I hope I'm wrong.  It is certinley a tremendous victory getting a Montrose kid over some bigger programs but he's going to need to put in some serious work.

 Happy that it was made official. Like the people who have seen him play are cautioning, don't expect huge numbers initially. He certainly has a lot of potential though and this team desperately needed a big body. 

There's no need to bring down another player to push up Larsen and calling Copes's season a "bust" makes you look bad. As BM said he was playing behind Morrison a very good player and had a major impact defensively in many games. Most analysts who follow college basketball are predicting him to be a breakout player next year nationally so this is probably one debate you don't want to get into. 

Agree with Realist.  Fantastic pick-up, but this is not an immediate impact player.  My guess is that there will be times next year when people are questioning whether Larsen really had Big East and ACC offers and by junior year we will all know why. 

As noted in the recruits thread, Larsen spent a lot of time with the strength and conditioning coach at Montrose.  With his natural build, and willingess to put the work in I think he will be a monster by junior year.

Smart points, all, DEA.

I understand that Larsen started out as a soccer player, so footwork and foot-first defense should come readily to him. Plus, Lonergan seems to be a realist, so I doubt we'll see expectations of big numbers on offense. This should be a nice, four year relationship among all parties, and all we weenies in the peanut gallery need to do is just be patient.

I still wish Copes well, but his success is irrelevant to GWU, except when the two Georges match up. Then, just toss up the ball.

Agree with Realist.  Fantastic pick-up, but this is not an immediate impact player.  My guess is that there will be times next year when people are questioning whether Larsen really had Big East and ACC offers and by junior year we will all know why. 

As noted in the recruits thread, Larsen spent a lot of time with the strength and conditioning coach at Montrose.  With his natural build, and willingess to put the work in I think he will be a monster by junior year.

Oh what the hell DEA, let Bobo keep going with his Copes comments.  He simply knows everything there is to know about the sport.  What a bust that Erik Copes.

As long as Erik's name was brought up, it's worth mentioning that today's signing definitely softens the blow of losing out on Erik.  A number of you are suggesting that Kevin will not be an immediate impact player and I don't really buy this.  His size and athleticism should pay immediate dividends on the defensive end, even if he only averages 10-15 minutes a game.  I do not see Kevin's freshman year anything close along the lines of Jabari Edwards, Daymon Warren, Herm Opoku, Jaaron Greene, or Alex Kireev.  

 He doesnt have a whole lot of athleticism. He does have size. 

Can he rhumba? Or is he baffled by the cha-cha?

If he can move his feet, he can be taught defense. He's got 3 years to learn offense.

He's got what GW needs, what we have little of, and what can't be taught. That's a good start. Plus, some of his video clips indicate he actually knows what to do with a basketball, which puts him ahead of a fair number of GW's historic collection of transfers, projects, and oversized, ground hugging "big" men.

Plus, Coach ML lays it all out for us:

http://www.gwsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/043012aad.html

I'll take a flier on whether he'll live up to our incredible hyping and choose to focus instead on the fact that ML and staff have delivered in one year exactly the kind of recruiting class they said they would. How it plays on the court will be another matter entirely, but this class will go down preseason as the finest (most hyped) recruiting haul at GW in 25 years or more.

Welcome, Kevin! You will love it in Foggy Bottom!

I'll take a flier on whether he'll live up to our incredible hyping and choose to focus instead on the fact that ML and staff have delivered in one year exactly the kind of recruiting class they said they would. How it plays on the court will be another matter entirely, but this class will go down preseason as the finest (most hyped) recruiting haul at GW in 25 years or more.

Welcome, Kevin! You will love it in Foggy Bottom!

 The Josh Barr article linked at the top has been updated. Confirmed offers from Pitt and Illinois with interest from Duke for Carrera. 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/recruiting-insider/post/montrose-christian-c-kevin-larsen-to-sign-with-george-washington/2012/04/30/gIQAEh0rrT_blog.html

“A lot of it had to do with his conditioning,” Montrose Christian Coach Stu Vetter said. “He lost about 30 pounds since he came to Montrose. He was a very skilled player from the beginning.”

Providence and Temple were among the other schools to offer scholarships to Larsen.

“I think he just felt very comfortable at GW,” Vetter said. “I think it’s a good fit for him. They have an outstanding recruiting class coming in and he can join that class and do some great things. He’s a player who is going to get better and better.”

In a statement released by the school, Lonergan said of Larsen, “Kevin has the size and strength to be an inside presence on both ends of the court. He is a great passer and a very unselfish player. He is fundamentally sound and should have an immediate impact on our program.”

Article and video interview from the folks at DMV elite.

LOVE the picture 

Make sure you click through to the article about the Strength and Conditioning coach.

Great pick-up for GW. Look forward to watching all the new players later this year.

Plus, now we will no longer have to hear the incessant MV rantings about losing Copes. Call that hitting the daily double.

CBO, I haven't ranted about GW losing Copes for the past 3-4 months.  Bringing his name up to make a point doesn't constitute a rant.  But don't let me stop you from making up incessant garbage.

news flash -- larsen's uncle is being considered as an assistant coach at george mason.

Ha ha MV 3-4 months? Do I really have to use the search function to show that to be wrong? But just to clarify, when you bring up his name over and over again to make the VERY SAME point over and over again - it becomes a rant. Now that the inconvenient facts are out of the way, by all means please carry on.

No need to build unnecessary hype for Larsen as he's a project who's production was up and down in HS.  But 16-22 minutes/game with stay at home defense and some efficient play will be a big help.  Copes couldn't stay on the court not just because PF Morrison is a good player but Copes was terribly inefficient: shooting poorly with lots of TOs and PFs.  Prediction: Larsen will have a bigger impact his freshman year than "the one that got away."

 If Larsen can box out and grab six boards a game next year I will be happy.  If he does that he will have out-performed every Freshman GW center since Alexander Koul.

 You're entitled to your opinion but that doesn't make it right. He may put up better #s(which I don't think he will btw) but he's also not playing behind an all senior, all conference front court. This is not a fair comparison for Kevin because Copes will be a very good player by the time it's all said and done and may be a pro. 

Whoever mentioned Larsen's ability to set screens as an attribute has it right. That's where he will be most valuable immediately and should help the offense flow a lot better. 

Two things stick out:

1) Coach Longergan and staff set out their recruiting priorities, local and international (and with Kevin local/international) and the players and basically seemed to sign all their realistic hopes, including those who were looked at by big programs.

2) Kevin is at least 235 pounds. Hope he continues to build muscle and doesn't lose any more weight, unless requested by the staff. He is big and solid. We haven't had anyone real solid, who was 6'8 or 6'9, who stuck around. outside of Rock, who didn't play much and since Iturbe (who may have been shorter). Tamal had that potential pre-Rollerson, but wasn't as tall .Pops added muscle and weight.

While Kevin may not be amazingly athletic like Pops, if he can use his size, clear out some space and get rebounds, as noted, that would be a great help his freshman year. Been some time where haven't been pushed around by some Dayton farm boy, etc.

Welcome Kevin, as part of a very promising recruiting class.

Two things stick out:

1) Coach Longergan and staff set out their recruiting priorities, local and international (and with Kevin local/international) and the players and basically seemed to sign all their realistic hopes, including those who were looked at by big programs.

2) Kevin is at least 235 pounds. Hope he continues to build muscle and doesn't lose any more weight, unless requested by the staff. He is big and solid. We haven't had anyone real solid, who was 6'8 or 6'9, who stuck around. outside of Rock, who didn't play much and since Iturbe (who may have been shorter). Tamal had that potential pre-Rollerson, but wasn't as tall .Pops added muscle and weight.

While Kevin may not be amazingly athletic like Pops, if he can use his size, clear out some space and get rebounds, as noted, that would be a great help his freshman year. Been some time where haven't been pushed around by some Dayton farm boy, etc.

Welcome Kevin, as part of a very promising recruiting class.

http://www.mikelonergan.com/newsitem.asp?item=3006

http://www.mikelonergan.com/newsitem.asp?item=3006