2010 Auburn-decommit Heath Houston Commits to VCU!

With the news of Kasey Wilson's decommitment 2 weeks ago, the VCU staff got to working hard to replace him. The hard work paid off. With just a 2 week turnaround VCU got great news yesterday when 6'8, 240 pound PF Heath Houston gave his commitment to Shaka Smart and the VCU coaching staff. Houston was a part of Auburn's #6 rated national class for 2010 (#2 in the SEC behind Kentucky) and signed with Jeff Lebo in the fall over offers from Cincinnati, Winthrop, and Tulane. With Jeff Lebo's firing this spring, Houston decommitted after Tony Barbee took the reins at Auburn. He was named 2nd team All-State in Georgia at the 4A classification. Interestingly enough we are trading a Georgia player (Issiah Grayson) for another one hailing from the same state. Houston ultimately chose the Rams over ECU where Jeff Lebo (the coach he signed with at Auburn) was really after him to become a Pirate. Clemson out of the ACC and fellow CAA-member Drexel were battling for Houston's services as well. Houston is a 2010 commit who will join Juvonte Reddic, Reco McCarter, Toby Veal, Rob Brandenberg, and DJ Haley. The Fab Five have now become the Super Six.

Houston has a college-ready body at 6'8, 240 pounds and is a face-up 4 who is pretty skilled and has a nice jumper out to 20 feet. He's yet another lefty who will be a great on-the-ball defender in the press for the Rams. He is not highly-rated by recruiting services (83 ESPN grade, Scout 2 star, unranked by Rivals), but his offers do speak for themselves. He has a high-major body and has shown flashes of high-major ability during his high school career. While he may not be an impact player in the SEC, he is more than good enough at the CAA level. He will be a steady 4-year player for the Rams who won't be flashy, but will get the job done. He is also a fairly good athlete (though not as explosive as Toby Veal) who will give us even more frontcourt depth with Jamie Skeen, Toby Veal, Juvonte Reddic, and DJ Haley.

VCU's Coaching Staff is recruiting at a very high level with well-regarded players and building for a bright future. Just when we thought the 2010 class couldn't get any better, we get a SEC decommit to cap off the class! Awesome stuff from Shaka and crew! Ladies and Gentlemen, I officially present the full VCU 2010 recruiting class: Reco McCarter, Juvonte Reddic, Toby Veal, Rob Brandenberg, DJ Haley, and Heath Houston! GO RAMS!

WCHS 8 does a feature on Pierria' Henry

Local Charleston ABC-affiliate WCHS did a video feature on Pierria' Henry outlining his recruitment and his late-season injury that almost cost him his life. They mention that if he had waited 1 more hour to get to the hospital, he likely would have died. He has 45 staples on the outside of his thigh and 50 stitches on the inside, the result of the 5 surgeries on his leg to treat the clot in his thigh. Henry talks about how the injury gave him a new appreciation for life as well as those close to him.

The feature said Henry received 11 scholarship offers, including in-state schools Marshall and West Virginia. He explains his reasoning for committing to VCU and cited the coaching staff's support and concern throughout his ordeal as being what sealed the deal for him. Vic Herbert (Pierria's basketball coach) said that Pierria' will undoubtedly learn and mature from this experience. There are highlights of him on the basketball court as well as the football field (the reporter also noted that Pierria' would not be able to play football this season as he recovers). It's a great feature and a must-see if you are a Ram fan!

Jordan Laguerre visiting VCU

According to VCU target Jordan Laguerre's twitter, he will be visiting VCU the next couple of days:

Let's see what you got vcu! Gonna have a good few days in VA.. I can already tell

Laguerre is a 6'2 scoring guard who is rated the #9 player in all of New England by the New England Recruiting Report. He was originally a 2010 recruit but has since reclassified to 2011. He is rated an 89 by ESPN (was a 90 earlier this summer), a Scout.com 2-star recruit , and unrated on Rivals.

In other news, Larry Sanders worked out for the Milwaukee Bucks today, here is the video recap with comments from Bucks Director of Scouting Billy McKinney and Larry Sanders:

ESPNU announces Kasey Wilson decommitting from VCU

Senior-to-be power forward Kasey Wilson has decided to open up his recruitment and is no longer committed to Virginia Commonweatlh, his AAU coach Conrad Foss has confirmed to ESPN.com.

Wilson originally chose the Rams in February over Ohio and also had interest from Georgia, Auburn, Syracuse, Oklahoma State and others.

Shooting guard Pierria Henry is the lone 2011 recruit for VCU.

We regret to see this happen, but wish luck to Kasey in his future endeavors. VCU will not be re-recruiting him.

PrepsHoopsAssist.com names VCU #5 non-BCS recruiting class in the nation!

PrepsHoopsAssist.com did their Top 25 mid-major/non-BCS recruiting classes for 2010 and VCU's 5 man class made the list at #5 in the nation. The teams in front of VCU were Memphis (top 3 national class), Central Michigan, Detroit (both with top 50 recruits pledging to play for their fathers), and St. Joes. VCU's class was ranked ahead of schools such as Xavier, Dayton, Butler, St. Louis, Western Kentucky, and Florida International (who has been recruiting well under Isiah Thomas). They are the sole CAA team represented in the top 25.


Shaka Smart and the VCU staff are continuing to gain accolades for the 2010 class, let's hope they perform well on the court as well!

Kasey Wilson named to All-Tournament team at the Bob Gibbons TOC

A little while ago the Report covered Kasey's performance at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions in North Carolina. Here's a little bit of additional information. Kasey Wilson was named to the 17U All-Tournament team along with teammate Michael Frazier. This placed him in the top 42 players in an event having 64 teams from all over the United States. He was also one of the top scoring leaders at the tournament at the 17U level and tied for 14th overall averaging 20.3 ppg for the tournament. Great job Kasey!

More on Freddie Jackson...

Brian Mull, who runs a blog covering all things UNC Wilmington, wrote up an entry on local prep stars that the Seahawks are recruiting. Freddie Jackson is among those targets and has been tendered an offer from Buzz Peterson and staff. Here's what Mull had to say about Jackson:

Perhaps the most polished player of the three is New Hanover point guard Freddie Jackson, who toured the UNCW campus last month and received a scholarship offer from Peterson, according to his high school coach, Kirk Angel.

Freddie Jackson is a penetrator and passer, and perhaps a VCU lean

Peterson told Jackson – a true distributing point guard who flourishes in the up-tempo, opencourt style – that he could be the cornerstone of a critical 2011 UNCW recruiting class that has six openings.

If the Seahawks don’t land Jackson, they may have to play against him.

He’s being heavily courted by VCU. He and Angel took an unofficial visit to the VCU campus recently, where Jackson toured the facilities, played pickup games against the current Rams and met former point guard Eric Maynor, who recently completed his rookie year with the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. New Hanover will return to Richmond later this summer for VCU’s team camp.

From the entry, it looks like UNCW has now joined VCU in having an offer to Jackson on the table in addition to interest from Charlotte and East Carolina. VCU certainly has the most to offer in the way of basketball success of the 4 programs. Meeting with a fellow North Carolina point guard in Eric Maynor who went from VCU on to the NBA isn't bad for recruiting either. It will ultimately come down to how comfortable Jackson is with going away from home. All other indicators would point to VCU as the best situation for him.

Larry Sanders NBA Draft Mania Continued...

There is a lot of press on Larry Sanders (and subsequent exposure for VCU) as he is right in the middle of workouts for NBA teams. Here's NBA.com's Video Profile on Larry Sanders for the NBA Draft:



Larry has been all over the continent doing workouts for various NBA teams (Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and New Jersey Nets among others) and most recently worked out for the Jazz yesterday. He made the UtahJazz.com homepage along with Georgia Tech's Gani Lawal and Kentucky's Patrick Patterson.



After the workout the Salt Lake City media conducted a video interview with Larry that was posted on UtahJazz.com:



While Larry has been slated anywhere from 13 to 28 in the first round, his workout in Toronto on June 3rd seems to have boosted his stock. RaptorsHQ called him the standout of the day:

On the other hand,the stand-out player to me yesterday was Larry Sanders. Many don't know about this kid but like Hickson a few years back, I wouldn't be surprised to see him creep up draft boards and have an immediate impact in the league. He's even longer than I remembered, was all over the court in drills, rebounding the ball, dunking put-backs, and is starting to show a solid face-up game as well, something we touch on in my interview with him below. He's raw, but I'd argue more polished than Udoh or Orton, and has more upside actually than Aldrich. He's also one of the funniest and most personable prospects I've ever spoken to over the years, and you can see that in the following interview:

Click on the link to read a pretty lengthy and informative interview that Larry did with RaptorsHQ. He is scheduled to do approximately 13 NBA workouts total leading up to June 24th including one's on the 16th with the Memphis Grizzlies and the 22nd with the Atlanta Hawks.

The Toronto media also did a 4:40 minute video interview with Sanders after the workout in which he carried himself well and seems to have made a good impression on the Raptors staff:



Following the workout the Detroit Free Press wrote up an article on Sanders improving his draft stock and the possibility of the Pistons trading down to get him:

But while the focus is on sure-fire lottery picks Derrick Favors, DeMarcus Cousins, Ed Davis, Ekpe Udoh and Cole Aldrich, Dumars said on the night of the draft lottery that the Pistons would have to be mindful of fast-rising prospects -- for the pick and for the possibility of trading down.

One such prospect could be VCU's Larry Sanders.

In a workout with the Raptors last week while matched against Udoh, Aldrich and Daniel Orton, Sanders did far more than hold his own.

Projected to be a power forward, his length should enable him to guard all three frontcourt positions.

With all the buzz and media, VCU is getting a lot of great exposure to a large market of viewers that may not even follow college basketball all that much. It's nice to see Larry doing well and this is not being lost on the recruiting targets the Rams are pursuing. Hopefully Larry and Eric are the first of several VCU players to go to the NBA in the coming seasons ahead.

Kasey Wilson and Florida Elite win the USSSA Florida 17U Tournament Championship...

Kasey particpated as a member of Florida Elite's 17U squad this past weekend at Cocoa Beach for the 17U Florida USSSA tournament. While Florida Elite had already won the AAU state championship earlier this year, the USSSA tournament is another prestigious tournament that has slipped in significance over the years. The level of competition in this tournament was not as competitive as earlier ones and Florida Elite breezed their way to the Championship winning their first game by a 78-64 score and then beating the Brevard Bulls in the final by 30 points, winning 82-52. 2012 guard Michael Frazier was the tournament MVP for Florida Elite. Elite 17U are the 2010 USSSA State Champions! Congratulations to Kasey and Florida Elite!

Kasey Wilson continues to impress on the AAU circuit...this time at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions

Bob Gibbons' Tournament of Champions in North Carolina is one of the premier AAU tournaments of the year drawing AAU teams from all over the United States and Canada. The 17U tournament featured 64 of the top AAU teams around with 16 pool-winners advancing to the 17U national playoffs, while the second-place pool finishers advanced to the 17U select playoffs. Kasey Wilson and his Florida Elite 17U team played in Pool I and were seeded 2nd in their pool which included the #1 New England Playaz, #3 NC Gaters Blue, and #4 Team Power, GA.


Florida Elite's first game was against the #3 seeded NC Gaters Blue the Ravenscroft School's main gym on May 28th at 8:30 in the evening. Florida Elite jumped out to a 46-28 halftime lead and didn't let the lead slip away beating the Gaters by a score of 78-63.


Florida Elite's 2nd game would take place the next day (May 29th) at 11 a.m. against 4th-seeded Team Power hailing from Georgia at Duke University's Card Gym. Florida Elite once again came out on top beating Team Power by a 64-55 score.


Kasey Wilson would show up in the big games and it all started later at 6 p.m. on the 29th against the #1 seed in Pool I, the New England Playaz. The game was played at UNC's Carmichael Gym just down Tobacco Road from Duke. Kasey Wilson and Florida Elite looked to make a statement and turned it up. Kasey Wilson had 15 first-half points as Florida Elite took a 35-24 advantage going into the half. Elite cruised in the second half to a 65-39 victory over the #1 seed in their pool and Kasey finished with 22 points.


With the victory Kasey and Florida Elite advanced to the 17U National Playoffs as one of the 16 pool winners. They would face off against the winner of Pool H (Belmont Shore out of California who was the #1 seed in that pool) back up Tobacco Road at Duke University's Wilson Recreation Center at 10 p.m. that same night. The winner would advance to the final championship day of tournament play at UNC's Dean Smith Center the following day. Belmont Shore proved formidable and were a very tough team matchup for Florida Elite but Kasey put on a show scoring 25 points in a close 5-point loss.

All in all it was a strong showing for Florida Elite and Kasey Wilson continued his strong AAU play. Kasey continues to improve and looks to be a valuable contributor and a key part of VCU's 2011 class. With Pierria' Henry already committed and 2 other guards to join the Rams in the coming weeks, Wilson will be the sole forward in the 2011 class, joining 2010 forwards Juvonte Reddic, Darrell Haley, and Reco McCarter as the future of the VCU frontcourt. Let's hope he continues to play well and bring that momentum into VCU in 2011!

ESPN lists VCU among the nation's top non-BCS classes!

Michael LaPlante at ESPN wrote up an article on the top non-BCS classes in the country today and VCU made the list and was the sole CAA representative. George Mason also received an honorable mention with two solid recruits of their own (credit to vcu_dan on the VCURamNation boards for the find). LaPlante gave VCU a "B" for the recruiting class overall placing it in the 5-10 range (since schools outside the top 25 with the same grade were placed alphabetically). Here's what he had to say about VCU's five man class:

In recent years, VCU has had an outstanding run with three different coaches and coach Shaka Smart has kept the talent level flowing with the addition of another strong recruiting class. Juvonte Reddic (Winson-Salem, N.C./Quality Education Academy) could be a major steal as he develops in the low post, while Reco McCarter (Goldsboro, N.C./Wayne Country Day) gives Smart a smooth, versatile scoring wing that should help continue the successful trend at VCU.

The Rams continue to gain accolades as the CAA's best recruiting class for 2010 and recruiting analysts seem to agree that Juvonte Reddic and Reco McCarter are the headliners of the class, reflecting the opinion of Ram fans in the Recruiting Report poll. With 2011 already having gotten off to a good start with Kasey Wilson (ESPN 91, Rivals 3 star) and Pierria' Henry (ESPN 90, Rivals 3-star) having committed already for 2011, the Rams look to continue their great recruiting under Shaka Smart for years to come.

Let's take a break from recruiting to talk LARRY SANDERS DRAFT MANIA!

While VCU is in great shape with the last 2 of their top 3 guard targets (Henry was the first) and we should get a commitment from at least 1 before June 20th, things have otherwise been somewhat quiet as the off season drags on. One nice thing that can keep VCU fans in basketball mode is the media buzz surrounding our very own junior Larry Sanders who has decided to forgo his final year of eligibility to go to the NBA.


He has already had a workout with the Indiana Pacers and most recently participated in the NBA Pre-Draft combine in Chicago. Here are Mr. Sanders' official NBA measurements:

Height: 6'9.25" barefoot, 6'10.5" with shoes
Weight: 222
Wingspan: 7'5.75"
Reach: 9'4"
Body fat %: 4.6%

Here is ESPNU's breakdown of Larry Sanders and some footage of him from the combine. He shows a pretty nice 3-point stroke hitting almost 50% of his shots behind the college line. Of course VCU fans know all about Larry's 3-point shot.



DraftExpress also sat down with Larry after the combine to ask him some questions about the process, getting advice from Eric Maynor and Amare Stoudamire as well as former VCU coach Anthony Grant on how to prepare and approach the draft process:



CBSSports.com has also done a minute long segment of highlights on Larry Sanders which can be found here.

Last week the Indiana Pacers worked out Larry Sanders in what was his first NBA workout leading up to the draft. The Pacers hold the #10 overall pick in the first round of this year's draft. Sanders was the only first-round prospect in a group that also included Sylven Landesberg (UVA), Gani Lawal (Georgia Tech), Mikhail Torrance (Alabama), Dominique Jones (South Florida) and Aubrey Coleman (Houston). Here are the highlights of the May 17th workouts in which Larry Sanders performed pretty well.



After the workouts Pacers.com interviewed Larry Sanders to get his thoughts on his first workout, advice from VCU teammate and OKC Thunder point guard Eric Maynor, his thoughts on how he might fit in with the Pacers, what he wants to show NBA executives during the draft process, and what his expectations of where he'll go in the draft are:



Several NBA fan sites and draft sites have articles out discussing the possibility of Larry joining their teams including the OKC Thunder, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, and Boston Celtics. All of the major mock draft sites have Larry Sanders going in the first round ranging anywhere from 13th to 28th overall. It will be interesting to follow the draft process and we have to thank Larry Sanders for reinforcing VCU as a plausible program for NBA-caliber players. Both Juvonte Reddic and Pierria' Henry have stated that as an important selling point in passing over such programs as Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Maryland (in Reddic's case), and West Virginia, Dayton, Xavier, Arkansas, and Virginia Tech (in Henry's case). Let's hope we'll have more of these players giving us good news in the offseason leading up to the NBA draft. 2 NBA first-rounders in 2 years is pretty darn good for a mid-major program like VCU. Let's hope the trend continues! Good luck to Larry throughout the draft process!

Issiah Grayson to transfer...we have another scholarship ladies and gents

Rising sophomore point guard Issiah Grayson is leaving the VCU program and transferring in order to find a better situation for him to get good minutes. He was professional through and through and had a great demeanor on and off the court representing the program and school well. While things didn't work out for him on the court, he was professional about it all the way. I think I can speak for all Ram fans when I say 'Good luck and all the best in your future endeavors!'.

The Rams now have another scholarship and will not be looking to use it on just anybody. The staff has a good head start on 2011 and is in good shape with a number of prospects but will also keep the scholarship open in the event that a suitable mid-year transfer becomes available. Again the Report wishes Issiah 'Iggy' Grayson all the best and a bright future with whichever program he chooses to join.

ESPN's Paul Biancardi gives VCU props on spring signing period recruits!

Paul Biancardi at ESPN wrote an article covering all the highlights of the late signing period. He mentions VCU in the 'Others Making Moves' section with regards to adding size in Juvonte Reddic and Darrell Haley:

Link:

Virginia Commonwealth

The Commodores also added good size during this late signing period in centers Juvonte Reddic (Winston-Salem, N.C./Quality Education) and Darrell Haley (Palmdale, Calif./Palmdale). Reddic plays with great energy, has great athletic ability and can defend both post positions at 6-9. Haley has an impressive frame (6-10, 230 pounds) with broad shoulders and long arms, but needs to hone his offensive game.

The obvious error in calling us the Commodores aside (especially considering there is a VCU Rams logo right next to the blurb), it's nice press for VCU which was the only CAA school mentioned in the article.

4-star 2011 prospect Shane Larkin has VCU as his leader

A post on the VCURamNation boards by MistaChill tipped Ram fans off to an update on Larkin by Dave Telep at Scout.com. Larkin is a 5'11 guard who hails from the same high school as Mississippi standout Chris Warren.

He has offers from VCU, Clemson (Purnell’s regime), Central Florida, South Florida and George Mason. “It’s still VCU, probably the hardest." Larkin said. “That’s the school I like the most.”

He’s visited Miami and South Florida. Duke, Alabama, UCLA, USC, Harvard, Marquette, Wake Forest, Florida State and Florida remain in touch with him.

Larkin is a Scout.com 3 star (#20 PG), 4-star Rivals.com report (#76 in Rivals 150), and a 91 ESPN grade(#28 PG).

While the summer AAU session should heat up Larkin's recruitment, it is nice to see that we lead for his services right now.

Further thoughts on Pierria' Henry from the RTD and assistant coach Cliff Jackson

Tim Pearell of the Richmond Times-Dispatch got some material that didn't make it into the print article on Henry's commitment to VCU. He put the remaining material on his blog online. Here is the link.

It says that doctors told Henry he could have lost the leg or even died had he waited longer to have surgery. He won't be able to bear weight on the leg for the next 2 months and will be fully recovered in 6 months in time for the beginning of basketball season.

“It did make me appreciate things even more. I look at life differently now. You never know what tomorrow brings. You never know when the last time is you get to speak to anybody. I make sure my last words to everybody are, ‘I love you.’”

Thoughts from South Charleston assistant Cliff Jackson:

“In the long run, I think they’ve gotten themselves a pretty darn good player. The last two years Pierria’ has fiddled with football. He was getting some decent football looks, too. I just wonder how good Perry could be in a year-round, 12-month basketball situation.

“When he gets that individual attention, I just think his offensive skills will just get so much better.”

“He’s such a great defender. [Recruiters] liked his ability to play the point and score a little bit, but they were just amazed at how he defended and his willingness to play hard the whole time.”

“Probably his biggest strength is his competitiveness. He’s a go-getter and refuses to lose.”

“His leadership was very valuable this year. He leads by example. He’s not a very boisterous person. He just pretty much leads by his play and his competitiveness.”

Everything we're hearing seems to reinforce that this kid is a class individual in addition to being a great player. This seems to be a pattern for the types of kids Coach Smart is bringing in whereas Coach Grant would take chances on guys who were not so well-mannered and mature. Guys like DJ Haley (3.8 GPA), Juvonte Reddic (3.5), and Pierria Henry (3.25) seem to be solid in the classroom as well. All nice things to see if you are a VCU fan.

ESPN updates Henry and regrades him as a 90 (#41 SG)

ESPN has updated Henry's profile to reflect his commitment, but also downgraded him to a 90(#41 SG) from a 92(#29 SG). I got to catch a screenshot of the 2011 commit list for posterity since he was the highest-rated ESPN guy to commit to VCU since ESPN started grading.

Nonetheless, his updated grade is still very impressive and Shaka and staff are completely ripping it up on the trail. The fact that he has brought two 90+ recruits into the fold for 2011 before any other team in the conference even got 1 is a pretty impressive feat. Here's what ESPN had to say regarding Henry's commitment:

Charleston, W.Va., guard Pierria Henry has given Virginia Commonwealth head coach Shaka Smart and his staff a verbal commitment, according to sources close to the situation.

The 6-foot-3 Henry had offers from Akron and Marshall and was garnering interest from West Virginia and Xavier before deciding on the Rams.

ESPN.com Recruiting Coordinator John Stovall describes Henry as a "combo guard who is comfortable playing either spot."

"Pierria's got a good basketball I.Q. so he has no problem running a team. He is quick and strong enough to get in the lane and finish or dish it to a teammate and he's also a solid shooter out to 20 feet."

"Pierria was injured (thigh contusion) early on in the spring and may not play the rest of the travel circuit but overall this is an excellent get for the Rams," Stovall added. "He can play in almost any style but is at his best in an up-and-down system."

He joins Florida product Kasey Wilson in VCU's 2011 recruiting class.

More on Pierria Henry

In the day since Henry's commitment was announced, there have been a number of changes. Both Rivals and Scout updated their profiles to reflect his commitment with the former also rating him a 3-star recruit. He joins Kasey Wilson as a 3-star. The last 7 commitments to VCU have been Rivals 3-star recruits (from the classes of 2010 and 2011). There has also been a good amount of press on the event that outlines a lot of the background around Henry's commitment. I'll give a synopsis on the highlights of the material.

-Henry visited VCU in February with his grandfather Jerry Stephens. His grandfather was always partial to VCU who loved the staff, atmosphere, and program. He always asked when they would go back. Mr. Stephens passed away this month on May 3rd.

-Henry suffered a thigh contusion at the Pitt JamFest AAU event and had to go to a hospital in Pittsburgh for emergency surgery, the first staff to call him while in the Hospital was VCU.

-Henry's coach was somewhat surprised but did not question or sway his players decision but did state that he had offers from ACC, SEC, and Big East schools so VCU's staff obviously did something right.

-When asked Henry said West Virginia, Xavier, Virginia Tech, Arkansas, and Dayton had offered him.

-Henry committed to VCU because of the support his grandfather gave. He feels the coaching staff will be father-figures to him, something he lacked growing up after his father left when he was a small child. He also cited the ability to get to the NBA from VCU as a selling point.

-Henry has a 3.25 GPA and has qualified academically.

-His coach Vic Herbert says he's the premier defender in the state and takes pride in his commitment to defense and rebounding, something that will allow him to contribute immediately at the college level.

Here are some the better articles out there on his commitment as well as thoughts from Henry and his high school coach Vic Herbert.

Richmond Times-Dispatch article:

Charleston Daily Mail:

Charleston Gazette:

Kasey Wilson's ESPN Profile Updated to a 91!

To go along with awesome news of Pierria Henry's commitment to VCU (a 92 ESPN recruit), the first commit from the 2011 class Kasey Wilson has been bumped up from an 89 to a 91 and the #25 PF in the 2011 class as well!

Shaka Smart and staff are just outdoing themselves and if anyone thought 2010 was a great class, 2011 already looks better if ESPN is any indication! Congrats to Kasey Wilson!

Updated Kasey Wilson ESPN profile:

(credit goes to mwalvior on the VCURamNation boards for the find!)

Pierria Henry Commits to VCU!

The Rams have secured a HUGE commitment from 6’4, 186 pound combo guard Pierria Henry (incorrectly listed as Perry Henry on several sites) out of South Charleston high school in West Virginia. He is a Big East level player who sported a number of Division 1 offers including West Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Xavier among others. ESPN gives Henry at a 92 grade which would make him the highest-ranked recruit according to that service that VCU has garnered a commitment from since ESPN started their recruiting service. He was a two-sport standout for the Black Eagles starring at wide receiver and defensive back in football. Henry led them to 2 straight state championships in the sport and was named MVP in the state championship game this year . He’s no slouch on the basketball court either, scoring his 1000th point as a junior on February 11th. He was named Mountain State Athletic co-Player of the Year (with Wake Forest commit Chase Fischer) and 1st team All-State West Virginia. He was recently named MVP of the All-Ohio Nike Cup AAU tournament, leading his WV Wildcats 17U team to the title with 21 point, 9 rebound game in the final. Henry can do it all averaging 16.2 points, 8 boards, 6 assists, and 5 steals per game this past season.

Rivals Profile: 3 stars, offers from West Virginia, Xavier, Virginia Tech, VCU, Marshall, Ohio, Akron, Cleveland State, and Delaware.

ESPN Profile: 92 grade, considering Akron, Marshall, West Virgina, Xavier, and Virginia Tech.

Scout profile: unrated, offers from West Virginia, Xavier, Akron, and Marshall.

What makes his achievements in both sports all the more impressive is the fact that he comes from a tough family situation and despite his hardships has thrived. His father left him and his 4 siblings when he was just a child, leaving his mother working 2 jobs to keep the household afloat. His brother is sitting in a jail cell for allegedly shooting a man and Henry has had to grow up quickly and become the man of the house for his sisters. Things got so bad at home that his mother finally relented and let him go live with his girlfriend’s family to get him out of the negative environment surrounding his home. Without the money to pay for college, Henry’s flair for the athletic opened new doors towards completing a college education. The hardship of his life has given him toughness, heart, and desire that can’t be learned on the basketball court or the turf. He is one the hardest working players on the football field and was the leading rebounder on his team as a 6’4 sophomore guard. Henry’s hard work is not just limited to the athletic arena, as he also sports a GPA above 3.0 as well. While he’s a great player on the court, Henry looks to be an even more remarkable individual off of it.

An unfortunate injury during the AAU season sidelined Henry as he developed a blood clot in his right leg after being kneed in the thigh at the Pittsburgh JamFest AAU tournament at the University of Pittsburgh. It was the second injury after developing a deep thigh bruise in the Nike Cup tournament in Columbus the week before. The blood clot required immediate emergency surgery and so he underwent a number of surgeries to take care of it. While he is expected to make a full recovery, the timetable for recovery from such an event is anywhere from 3-6 months. This means that Henry will be unable to play in both AAU tournaments this summer and football in the fall. While Henry is a division 1 football prospect, he had not received any firm offers although many coaches were looking at him at the wide receiver position. With his recovery time impeding him from playing football this fall, basketball is the way to go for Henry.

Is anyone else thinking Jesse Pellot-Rosa here? Henry has all the makings of a tough, hard-nosed guard who can put up points in a hurry but also battle among the trees in the post to grab valuable rebounds. With offers from VCU, West Virginia, Xavier, Virginia Tech, Akron, Ohio, Cleveland State, and Delaware, Henry has been recruited by a wide variety of schools and ended up choosing the Rams. His ultimate goal is to go to the NBA in order to provide for the family and mother that have worked so hard their whole lives to get by: "That's why I keep working hard every day to get to the pros. That's my main thing; get my mom a nice home and a car that will work. Let her sit down and relax and enjoy life. Right now, she can't do that. She's been working ever since I can remember." Sound like a good kid to you? South Charleston AD Jason Redman agrees: "For him to go through the things that he's gone through and be the quality kid that he is ... Let's put it this way: I have a two-month old son, and I hope he grows up to be that kind of quality person." While it sounds like Shaka Smart and the rest of the VCU coaching staff have picked up a heck of a basketball player, it also looks like they’ve picked up an even more impressive individual in the process.

Henry joins 6’7 forward Kasey Wilson as the 2nd VCU commitment in the 2011 class. There are 2 spots remaining. I think I speak for all of Ram Nation when I say, "Welcome to VCU, Pierria Henry!"