Naadir Tharpe - PG (OFFER)

[More Cowbell]

October, 2008: Tharpe has very good quickness, which helps him to get into the teeth of the defense almost at will. His ball-handling skills and quickness makes him very tough for defenses to trap and pressure. Tharpe has to learn to use his quickness to his advantage by changing speeds to keep defenders off-balance as opposed to making himself easier to defend by playing the game at full-tilt exclusively. Slowing down and reading situations will also enhance his decision-making which should reduce his turnovers as well. He plays pretty much as a pass-first point guard, looking to create offensive scoring chances for his teammates first, then looking to score on his own. Tharpe also has very good vision and passing skills, which allows him to locate open teammates spotting up for jumpers on the perimeter after he penetrates and Tharpe effectively finds interior players on drop-off passes when he drives to the rim. He has to improve his jump shot consistency and range which would open up his penetration game. Tharpe has a low release point on his jumper and would enjoy more accuracy from the perimeter if he brings his release point up instead of pushing the ball. He also kicks his leg out on his jumper which only serves to turn his shoulders away from the basket, thus preventing his shot from going straight.

September, 2008: Tharpe has the passing skills and vision that coaches covet in point guards. He does a very good job of involving his teammates on offense and making players better. He knows how to get the ball to his teammates where they seem most comfortable on the floor. He has very good quickness and handles the ball very well, which makes him a very good penetrator. His has a tendency to over-dribble and over-penetrate at times, which gets him into trouble, making him slightly turnover prone. Tharpe does push the ball up the floor and finds open men in transition easily. He needs to improve his jump shot from the perimeter and add range on the shot. Tharpe could achieve this by bringing his release point on his jumper a little higher. He does a decent job of pressuring the ball on the defense end, but he needs to add more strength as he matures for college.

December, 2007: Nadir is a pure point guard who possesses an incredible feel for the game at such a young age. He already sees the games two passes ahead of time and makes those around him better with his playmaking abilities. He is tremendous on the break because he is as quick from baseline to baseline as any player his age in the country and also throws a perfect long lead pass. In the half-court he does a great job of finding shooters after penetrating the defense and is also capable of making pinpoint interior passes when opposing shot blockers rotate. It is almost impossible for any defender to turn him over as he always has complete control of the ball. The biggest question mark about Nadir has been his ability to create his own offense when there are no open receivers. While his shooting mechanics leave a lot to be desired he is capable of making the open three-point shot when his feet are set. And although he is not yet strong enough to finish against contact he has good use of a soft floater inside the lane. Defensively, he has great potential thanks to his fairly long arms and quick feet, which allow him to harass the ball for the entire length of the floor. Physically, he will be somewhat undersized for the highest levels if he has finished growing, although his long arms will help to compensate for that. Nadir currently displays a cut physique that he should have no problem adding muscle to in future years. Overall, his feel for the game and ability to make others better should make him a high-major talent.

Notes
AAU Team: New England Playaz...Reclassified into class of 2011 and will spend three years at Brewster Academy

[Muskie]

Position: Point guard
High School: Wolfeboro (NH) Brewster Academy
Class: 2011 (High School)

Interest:
California, Connecticut, Louisville, Marquette, and Oklahoma

Offers:
Arizona, Boston College, Iowa State, Providence, Xavier.

[kyxu]

I think this guy was a very strong Xavier lean before Miller and Richardson left. Now, our chances are probably slim to none.

[Muskie]

he just picked up an "offer" from Arizona last week. I'm sure it's coincidence.

[Runningman]

Might as well forget about Tharpe, looks like Miller has him locked up to Arizona.

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/messages/chrono/14784998

[Muskie]

Might as well forget about Tharpe, looks like Miller has him locked up to Arizona.

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/messages/chrono/14784998

Not even in his Top 5 now.

[DC Muskie]

Get used to Mack and Miller crossing paths. Arizona is going to camp out on the east coast.

We just make it harder for ourselves.

[Muskie]

Get used to Mack and Miller crossing paths. Arizona is going to camp out on the east coast.

We just make it harder for ourselves.

Probably to a point. But I imagine there will be some clamoring for some home grown talent on UA's squad (or at least some kids from that side of the country).

[wkrq59]

Here's a prediction for what it's worth, which is probably nothing.
Sean Miller will continue to profit from the recruiting lists and contacts he and Book made at Xavier until the season starts next fall. His and Book's success thereafter will depend on his team's success on the basketball floor.
Why?
Ben Howland, Tim Floyd, Herb Sendek, Mike Montgomery, and the coaches at Stanford, Oregon and Oregon State and Washington and Washington State in no particular order after Montgomery.
With comments such as he made at his press conference at Xavier (which never should have been allowed) and during his early conferences and newspaper interviews as well as the Buick-Lexus remark (which in my book was the last straw), Sean will quickly lose whatever respect he had among the Xavier faithful.
But, my friends, his reputation among his peers in the profession will also take a hit. Hell, Huggins may soon have more respect here than Miller--Naaaah.
And don't forget the smoldering allegations of recruiting violations by his predecessor or is it predecessors???
The true colors shown by Sean Miller will also lead him or Book or someone else on his staff to make a mistake in recruiting a kid, or being less than vigilant in watching how NCAA rules are adhered to and boosters controlled. While AZ won't suffer any serious hits from the NCAA--excluding the current problems--the reputation will be damaged. Don't forget, Lute wasn't always so squeeky clean, but he knew where a lot of bodies were buried.
And there is always the real possibility of scholarship loss due to failure to meet minimum NCAA due progress standards, which though a joke, can still hurt a program.
Lastly, the pressure to WIN & WIN NOW, DAMN IT will be far greater from the boosters and alums paying T. Boone Pickens-type prices for their coach than it ever was at Xavier. If Sean thought some of the things he read on the internet here in Cincinnati were "discouraging" as he once put it, wait until he is chastised for failing to either advance far enough in the NCAA tournament or even failing to make the tournament.
His slams (perceived or true) at Xavier during the press conference and with Parrom have probably lost him the few friends he had at Xavier and among its fans.
Finally, I would hope he is old and grey and retired for many years from coaching before he is ever considered for the Xavier Athletic Hall of Fame, occupied by his predecessors Bob Staak and Pete Gillen and soon-to-be by Skip Prosser. I can even see Matta making the hall before Sean..
While that last paragraph may seem petty and trivial, it's none the less fitting and true.:D:D:D

[xu15]

Each recruit that I see going to or planning on going to AZ makes me cringe. I hate it.

We need to lock up a good recruit to make me feel better.