Counting down to tipoff and previewing the Atlantic 10’s incoming freshmen with a look at the first year players at the University of Dayton Flyers.
UD finished 17-14 (seven A10 wins) in 2012-13. Archie Miller welcomes a trio of freshmen along with one transfer: Kyle Davis, Kendall Pollard, Scoochie Smith and transfer Jordan Sibert.
Kyle Davis 6-0, 165 Chicago, Ill/ Morgan Park
Kyle Davis became the first recruit in the class of 2013 for UD head coach Archie Miller when Davis committed in August of 2012. The 6-foot-2 left-handed combo guard averaged 21 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals as a senior at Morgan Park.
He transferred to Morgan Park for his senior season after playing at Hyde Park Academy.
Davis earned All-City First Team, Southtown Star First Team, All-Area, All-State and Team MVP honors as a senior at Morgan Park.
Davis led Morgan Park to the 3A State Title in Illinois with a 63-48 victory over Cahokia. Davis scored 10 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out three assists in the championship game. It was Morgan Park’s first state championship since 1976.
Morgan Park Coach, Nick Irvin, stated that “as soon as Kyle walked in the door we were going to be state champions.” Irvin is referencing Davis’ transfer to Morgan Park prior to his senior year, and said that Davis “was a catalyst in the title run.”
The City/Suburban Hoops Report describes Davis as a “blur in the open court, explosive in transition and a big-time finisher for his size. A consistent perimeter jumper is all that’s missing for the tough-minded Davis.”
He averaged 25 points and seven assists for Hyde Park Academy as a junior, and was selected to the Chicago Sun-Times Third Team All-Chicago Public League that season.
He selected Dayton after receiving offers from teams in the Big Ten, Big East, ACC and SEC. Both Rivals and Scout.com rate him a “four-star” recruit, and Rivals considers him the 114th best player and 26th best point guard in the nation in the class of 2013.
What they’re saying about Kyle Davis – Chris Johnson/ Hoop Scoop: “He is a hard nosed-kid. He is a tough, savvy point guard, very good ballhandler, a decent shooter.”
Kendall Pollard 6-6, 210 Chicago, Ill/Simeon Career Academy
Kendall Pollard is a 6-foot-5 forward who was a member of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Illinois 4A State Championship teams at Simeon Career Academy and a teammate of Jabari Parker, the nation’s No.2 ranked player. He scored 10 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in the Championship game as Simeon defeated Stevenson 58-40. Pollard helped Simeon to a 30-3 record during the 2012-13 season.
Pollard has a nearly 7-foot wingspan, and one recruiting service called him “a workhorse who is highly active around the basket. He has good instincts on the glass and a nice shooting touch in the paint area, which explains why he shoots at a high percentage. In addition, he gets out on the break well and is a hard-nosed defender who doesn’t take plays off.”
Pollard is also known as a shut down defender who will do whatever it takes for his team to win. He was often matched-up with the opposing teams’ top player. Jabari Parker has said that Pollard is the toughest defender that he’s ever faced.
The City/Suburban Hoops Report describes Pollard as “a player who steadily improved and climbed the rankings as he was given a bigger role and opportunity. Underrated athletically and for all that he brings to the table. A junk-yard dog who will guard and defend anyone, play physical, take a charge and finish around the basket. Teams win with players like Kendall Pollard.”
Kendall Pollard is a three-star recruit who ESPN.com rates as the 43rd-best small forward in the country and the ninth best player out of the state of Illinois for the class of 2013.
What they’re saying about Kendall Pollard – Chris Johnson/ Hoop Scoop: “He has a great body almost built like a tight end in football. He’ll bring some toughness to the Dayton program which I’m sure Coach Miller likes. He is a hard-nosed kid.”
Scoochie Smith 6-2, 170 New York, NY Putnam Science Academy
The second member of Archie Miller’s 2013 recruiting class to be ranked in the top 125 nationally is 6-foot-2 point guard Dayshon “Scoochie” Smith. A native of the Bronx, Smith is ranked the 106th prospect in the nation by Rivals. ESPN ranks Smith as the fifth best player out of the state of New York for the class of 2013. He transferred to Putnam Science Academy in Putnam, Ct. after his high school in New York City closed.
Smith was invited to play in the Jordan Brand Regional All-Star game after his senior season at Putnam Science Academy, which was held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Smith tallied a double-double of 11 points, 11 assists and six rebounds, but his team fell 114-102. Smith is the first UD recruit to play in a Jordan Brand All-Star game since Chris Wright did it in 2007.
Smith led his PSA squad to a 22-8 record during his senior season while averaging 18.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. He shot 51% from the field and 40% from beyond the three-point line. Smith was named to the All-Northeast Connecticut First Team. PSA won the Northeast Prep Championship where Smith was named the MVP of the tournament.
Smith averaged 17.2 points and 6.1 assists as a junior for PSA, while shooting better than 40% from three-point range.
Smith is the first player ever for PSA to top 1,000 points in a high school career. He is the school’s all-time assist leader (345) and steals (205) leader in just two years at the school. Smith also holds the single-game record for steals in a game with seven, which he accomplished five times.
Smith was named the No.1 recruit out of the state of Connecticut for 2013 by the New England Recruiting Report. ESPN recruiting analyst Adam Finkelstein says that Smith is “a high-major talent. He’s got an instinctive feel for the game and is very, very smooth. With his ability to create off the dribble and shoot the ball, he’s very versatile.”
The signings of Davis and Smith give the Flyers their first two Top 125 recruits in the same class in school history.
What they’re saying about Scoochie Smith – Steve Keller/ National Recruiting Report: “He’s an athletic combo guard who really wants to score points. They have a guy who is going to be able to come in right away and score. He can play either guard spot to give them some versatility.”
Jay Gomes/ NJ Hoops: “Smooth scorer can fill it up. Quick off the dribble and a crafty scorer. Needs to get stronger for the A-10 wars.”
Jordan Sibert 6-4. 187 Cincinnati, OH (Transfer Ohio State)
Sibert sat out the 2012-13 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Sibert played in 24 games on Ohio State’s Final Four team in 2011-12, averaging 11.4 minutes, 3.0 points and 1.4 rebounds. He played in a total of 49 games in two seasons for the Buckeyes. His career high in scoring was 12 points against Northwestern on Dec. 28, 2011.
As a senior at Princeton High School in 2010, he was named the Ohio’s Gatorade Player of the Year. He averaged 18.7 points a game and was also Associated Press Southwest Ohio Division I Player of Year and Associated Press First Team All-Ohio. Princeton was 19-5 and advanced to the regional semifinals in 2010, after finishing 25-2 with a two-point loss in the state championship game to a Jared Sullinger-led Columbus Northland team. Sibert scored 21 points in that game, and averaged 13.3 ppg. as a junior.
He was ranked as the 39th best recruit nationally and the seventh best shooting guard in 2010 by Rivals.com.
Coach Archie Miller was a member of Thad Matta’s staff at OSU when Sibert originally committed to the Buckeyes. Flyer assistant Kevin Kuwik was also on the Buckeyes’ staff during Sibert’s freshman year.
What they’re saying about Jordan Sibert – Chris Johnson/Hoop Scoop: “He is an explosive two-guard/ wing forward. He has tremendous quickness with a quick first step. He is a very good shooter. He is great in transition. He suffered that terrible injury when he broke his ankle. That sidelined for almost a year, and he was a young freshman at Ohio State, and he just got caught in the shuffle with the injury and all the players at Ohio State. He had to find a new place. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is the newcomer of the year in the A10.”
Steve Keller/ National Recruiting Report: “They have an experienced kid who is going to help them as soon as he gets into the lineup.”
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