Welcome to VCU, Tarique Foster!

[Bluey]

I'm going to guess he'll be a little more polished than Lawal. Foster plays AAU ball, is on a prep team, and I'm sure he's been playing at a high level for many years. Lawal played one year of prep ball and before that was in England, where they don't have the basketball infrastructure and coaching that we have.

They don’t have the hoops infrastructure at scale in England, but they do have a high degree of professionalism in their national team and club programs. Lawal probably got better instructional coaching than most recruits get via the AAU morass and HS. That said, he won’t have had the day-in-day-out experience against good to great basketball players that most recruits here experience and he definitely won’t have the benefit of growing up with any playground saavy that comes from being in a basketball centric culture.

Think of it as the reverse of soccer, we have guys go to England all the time and do just fine in terms of knowledge and technique—where they tend to struggle are with the physical nature of the game and coping with the informal skills that Brits have from years of informal play and drilling with equally talented peers. The US guys who have done well are made differently though…..gritty and determined. If Lawal has those qualities, he has a shot at being special given his athletic gifts.

 

[Mr. X]

Not that I'm making any comparisons, but I will remind people that another New Yorker we're familiar with had a similar path at this stage of his development. His name is Obi Toppin. Had zero offers in high school, did a year of prep school, got a mid-major offer, two years later national college player of the year.

Some dudes are late bloomers. I have no idea what this kid's potential is. Just saying...

Not saying this is the formula we should be banking on with our recruiting, but stuff happens. Sometimes a coach can spot something others are missing. And sometimes they're wrong and the coaches who had no interest were right. Who knows?

Sometimes they fit your style.

 

[N Mollen]

He will be rated prior to leaving PSA.

I think so.

 

[duncanlamb]

The overwhelming feeling of fear when facing a gun in your face and/or bullets flying at you, when you know or have a good idea of the intent of the person holding the gun, has a better chance than not of changing a person into a different person.

He face a gun twice in the span of 5 days. The high school graduation party in which he was one of 5 victims. The second was the following weekend at a charity basketball game. Some one brought a gun to the game and he ran..

 

[WillWeaverRVA]

But to be fair, Melvin was a four star prospect: https://247sports.com/player/melvin-johnson-15642/

I don't get as caught up in stars as some others, but I think it's safe to say Melvin was a much higher rated prospect than Foster from what I've seen so far.

He was, yet his only P5 offers were a mid-level ACC team and a bottom-feeding one.

 

[ramluvr99]

He was, yet his only P5 offers were a mid-level ACC team and a bottom-feeding one.

im excited about foster because of the raw potential he has. he got shot and it effected his development, therefore he’s under ranked. I trust our coaching staff and when i hear 6’8 shooter my eyes light up.

 

[rammad90]

Precisely, the lack of a FU offer is no barometer of future success. Aren't there highly-regarded recruits from the Richmond area (including at least one currently) that do not/did not hold a VCU offer?

I predict this kid will slot in somewhere along the continuum between Lewis Djonkam and "KG with a jumpshot", and I'm looking forward to seeing him in black and gold.

I am as well. 6'7/6'8 with a jump shot and he's long. He might take a year or two to settle in but he could be good.

I see him more as a Josh Banks on the low end to Vince Williams on the high type. If he lands in between its all good.

 

[Mistachill]

He was, yet his only P5 offers were a mid-level ACC team and a bottom-feeding one.

Johnson ended his senior season becoming a four star, but at the time he committed he was a three star. Yet. based on a report from the NY Post at the time that he committed, Johnson chose Miami over Virginia Tech, Georgetown (not sure they offered), South Florida, Dayton and the College of Charleston. The point is he was on the radar of high majors (apparently different than Foster currently from what I'm reading).

P5 is still P5. Kinda like saying you dated the ugliest Miss America. Still better than dating Miss Mecklenburg County.

 

[Natty]

Sometimes they fit your style.

On that note, a quote from someone worth hearing from on him: "Fits us. From his game down to his personality. Great addition"

Not a crazy revealing quote, but a note on him.

 

[2012Ram]

broooo we are so close

 

[enonram]

Johnson ended his senior season becoming a four star, but at the time he committed he was a three star. Yet. based on report from the NY Post at the time that he committed, Johnson chose Miami over Virginia Tech, Georgetown (not sure they offered), South Florida, Dayton and the College of Charleston. The point is he was on the radar of high majors (apparently different than Foster currently from what I'm reading).

P5 is still P5. Kinda like saying you dated the ugliest Miss America. Still better than dating Miss Mecklenburg County.

What's wrong with Miss Mecklenburg?

 

[Mistachill]

What's wrong with Miss Mecklenburg?

View attachment 11634

lol...nothing. She just ain't Miss America. Nothing wrong with driving a honda accord. It just ain't a BMW.

 

[Mistachill]

On that note, a quote from someone worth hearing from on him: "Fits us. From his game down to his personality. Great addition"

Not a crazy revealing quote, but a note on him.

I'm assuming MR wouldn't recruit players who are a bad fit so that's not surprising.

 

[rammad90]

They don’t have the hoops infrastructure at scale in England, but they do have a high degree of professionalism in their national team and club programs. Lawal probably got better instructional coaching than most recruits get via the AAU morass and HS. That said, he won’t have had the day-in-day-out experience against good to great basketball players that most recruits here experience and he definitely won’t have the benefit of growing up with any playground saavy that comes from being in a basketball centric culture.

Think of it as the reverse of soccer, we have guys go to England all the time and do just fine in terms of knowledge and technique—where they tend to struggle are with the physical nature of the game and coping with the informal skills that Brits have from years of informal play and drilling with equally talented peers. The US guys who have done well are made differently though…..gritty and determined. If Lawal has those qualities, he has a shot at being special given his athletic gifts.

Nick George did well. He was a different player from freshman to sophomore year. Then different still when he was a Sr., Lawal will be just fine as you allude, he just has to put in work.

 

[enonram]

lol...nothing. She just ain't Miss America. Nothing wrong with driving a honda accord. It just ain't a BMW.

I don't care what big boy offers she's had. If they don't want her, I'd scoop her up in a second. Give me a whole driveway full of hondas.