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For a number of years, I have subscribed to Van Coleman's "Future Stars" recruiting magazine. The last couple of years, BG recruits were not followed closely or even mentioned in this newsletter other than the signing. Reggie Harwell was an exception. BG and similar schools are especially absent this time of the year as well as in the big summer AAU games/camps/recruiting. But this year two players mentioned as being interested in BG were highlighted in Spring AAU tourneys in Houston and I think Indy. They were St. Henry's 6'10" Kurt Huelsman who was described as a developing big man who played well one week and poorly the next. I believe he has been commented before in some other topics. Interest is reported as in Dayton, Michigan, Purdue, Xavier, Cincy, Miami (O), VA, and BG. The other player that was more highly regarded is 6'7" Raymar Morgan of Canton McKinley. Morgan averaged 20 ppg at the games Van attended and is reported as an althletic combo forward who can dribble penetrate as well as board. It's heady competition but we are in the mix with Miami (FL), Pitt, OSU, Ball State, Az, Ohio, Cincy, MI State, and Syracuse. With that group, I would have my doubts we could land Morgan unless his HS production drops off but I believe it's a good sign that we are at least in the hunt for such quality players this early in the 2006 recruiting season.

Huelsman's brother was an All-MAC lineman on the football team as a freshman at BG this past year. It would make sense given the location and our need of a post player. The Reimold's have set a high standard for multi-sport brother athletic combinations.

JoeFalcon wrote:Huelsman's brother was an All-MAC lineman on the football team as a freshman at BG this past year. It would make sense given the location and our need of a post player. The Reimold's have set a high standard for multi-sport brother athletic combinations.

Korey Lichtensteiger was the All-MAC lineman as a freshman last year, not Kevin Huelsman. Kevin is a really big boy, but I don't think he saw much action at all last year. Having Kevin here certainly can't hurt in the effort to get Kurt on campus, though.

Kevin's brother sounds like an excellent basketball recruit that has something we desperately need -- size! I think if we have a good year in 05-06 (led by the 2005 recruiting class), then we could be on our way to another good recruiting class next year and hopefully an NCAA tournament bid SOON.

Thanks for the correction...those two can get mixed up easily!

Huelsman's older brother played football at Dayton and apparently has been very encouraging and working that angle for the Flyers according to Rivals.

As for Raymar Morgan . . . He is an absolute stud! Easily one of the top five players at the state tournament as a junior! Perhaps the only thing we have going for us in the Raymar Morgan recruiting battle is that McKinley head guy Dave Hoover is a BG alum.

McKinley was rated just below the expansion team North College Hill in the USA Today Midwest rankings and is the odds on favorite to win D-1 next year with a strong cast returning. The are scheduled for a mid-January slate with NCH in the Schott featuring Morgan head up with Billy Walker and OJ Mayo as well.

I watched Kurt Huelsman from the front row this past year on two occasions. He is an athletic kid and is actually 6'9". He seems to have a nice touch, shot free throws well and gets up and down the court quickly. Not a great leaper. Brother one is pushing Dayton; brother two is pushing BG.

Kurt. like most big men his age, needs strength. In one game, he was pushed around some by a soph post (also a good big man though). He will need to toughen up. But I am sure he can.

All in all, kind ok looks as much of a forward right now as center on his high school team. As always, St Henry had/has plenty of size and depth.

Good luck to Kurt and the Redskins this year.

Go Falcons!

OptionQB wrote: As for Raymar Morgan . . . He is an absolute stud! Easily one of the top five players at the state tournament as a junior! Perhaps the only thing we have going for us in the Raymar Morgan recruiting battle is that McKinley head guy Dave Hoover is a BG alum.

Morgan, the leading returner on one of the country's best HS teams, is already receiving national attention and is comfortably in the bottom half of the national top 100. The competition will be very intense for him. The only way I see him at a mid-major is for guaranteed playing time as a freshman, which would be a very good idea for him, because there is some doubt about ultimate pro potential at this point. Typically, when players of his calibre go to mid-majors, they're academically borderline, can't shoot, a tweaner, or don't emerge before their senior years and play for schools out of the spotlight. However, it does happen (...Keith Triplett, Danny Horace, Juby Johnson, Damon Frierson, Gary Trent, ....). Mawel Soler will leave a nice vacancy for him. It's fun to dream.

Huelsman has committed to Dayton.