Lady Griz Recruit: Conner Jordan

I have heard that Robin Selvig and his staff of Lady Griz coaches are recruiting Conner Jordan of Fort Payne high school in Fort Payne Alabama. Jordan is a 6-1 post prospect who primarily played the center spot in high school but is expected to play the power forward spot in college.

Alabama is WAY out of Selvig’s normal recruiting grounds, but as I understand it Jordan came to the attention of the Lady Griz coaching staff when she showed up at the Lady Griz basketball camp this summer and managed to come away with the Lady Griz Camp’s MVP Award.

Jordan has family in Montana and wants to play and attend college here, so she started recruiting the Lady Griz.

At Fort Payne this past season Jordan averaged 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists a game while shooting 49% from the field, 26% from beyond the three point arch and shooting 60% from the free-throw line. Fort Payne high school was ranked in the top 10 all season long in 2009-10 and is expected to be on of the top teams in the state this coming season.

Odds and Ends 10-6-10

More miscellaneous odds and end pieces of information that I have collected over the past week

• Football recruiting lists updates.

I have updated all four of the Montana State and Montana recruiting lists. That includes updating some commits and offers. Below are some of the football players out of the lists. It really looks like the Bobcats are looking to sign a couple high quality running backs and the Griz are really looking at an amazing number of high quality quarterback.

Montana State Football Recruits
RB Jarad Leaf 6-2 225 Martinez HS Alhambra CA
RB Tyler Middleton 5-11 180 Midland HS Midland TX – offered
RB DeAndre Jones 6-0 185 Killeen HS Harker Heights TX
OG Steven Oliver 6-2 250 Hamilton HS Chandler AZ

University of Montana Football Recruits
QB Garret Krstich 6-4 215 La Costa Canyon HS Encinitas CA

• Women basketball – I believe both the Montana State women’s program and the Lady Griz have started official practices for the 2010-11 season. The Bobcats started this past Sunday and I believe the lady Griz started at the beginning of this week. The men’s programs are not allowed to start practices until October 15th.

The Top 2011 Montana Girls Basketball Prospects (part 1)

Every time a post an article on Montana State and Montana recruiting lists I feel guilty about not publishing recruiting list for either Montana State Women’s or the Lady Griz basketball teams. The truth is it is much more difficult to follow these schools recruiting let along come up with list of their possible recruits. If I did produce a list it would end up being a list of the top Montana athletes and then maybe one or two out of state athletes. That got me thinking about just publishing a list of the top girls basketball players and rumors I have heard about their recruitment.

About a year ago I talked to about a handful of Montana girls basketball experts (at least by my standards) about the girls basketball recruiting. To a person every single one of them, while liking the 2009 and 2012 classes, really thought the 2011 prospect class was one of the weakest in recent history. I even had one predicted that none of this years class would sign with a D-1 program. Twelve or so months later things have changed.

While there is clearly a not big time recruit like a Jos Tinkle or a Kristen Tilleman in the class so far five athletes have committed to D-1 programs, with a couple of other who may or could have signed. Here are the girls’ basketball players who have committed to D-1 programs.

Kayla Dewit 6-1 Columbia Falls – power forward / center
She never played any AAU ball so was not well known out side the northwest, still she received recruiting attention from D-1 programs like Idaho, Montana and Gonzaga. Montana State was on her early and she committed to them early

Lady Griz get first commit

I have heard from a couple sources that Robin Selvig and his Lady Griz coaching staff have gotten an oral commitment from Haley Vining from CMR high school in Great Falls Montana.

Vining is a 5-7 (although I have seen her occasionally listed at 5-8) point guard who was an all State selection this past year as well as a Great Falls tribune Super State selection. She was also an All State Soccer selection this past year.

This past season she averaged 15 points and 6 assists a game this past season. Her assists totals lead the AA this past season. She also second in the AA in three point shots with 39.

Vining is a true point guard, who can shoot the three ball or drive the lane and dish or score the ball. She also is an excellent defender.