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Michael Walz - 2022 Commit

From his videos and other offers, this looks like a good pick-up. He also fills a huge need on our roster. If I'm Mooney, I go get another big man in next year's class as well.

Prototypical big man Mooney recruit, in that he can shoot the 3 and passes well. But what I saw is that the kid is able to absorb contact and finish strong as well, which is not typical Mooney.

Another plus is he is already a big boy at 6'10 240 (also saw him at 6'11) on another site. That should help him acclimate to the college game quicker. He's not coming as a skinny Sal or with very little body tone (Grace and Friendshuh) that is takes us 2-3 years to get their body ready for college ball.

I'm giving the Moondog, a gold star on this one.
 
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He actually does seem like our most complete/all around big man recruit since Grant. I was very high on the kid that transferred to Dunk U in Florida, but he had one of the most heinous looking three point shots this side of Shaq. Walz appears very well rounded from the video. Athleticism doesn't jump off the page, but if it did with his size and skill would not be in the running for him. And he does seem physical and strong, not a multi year project to get to the A10 level.
 
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Only thing I didn't like was the quote that he had been kinda passive, but the fact that it was immediately followed by describing how he had changed made me feel much better.
 
Spoke to a rival high school coach and a college coach about Walz. Neither were enthused about his work ethic and both questioned his low scoring totals. Both used the term “overrated” and questioned his ability to play in the A-10. Guess we will see.
 
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Good straight talk there PA. Seems like one of the concerns I heard about the big guy from FLA that I heard after the fact. I do think the bigger you are, the harder you are judged. I played h.s. hoops in sw va, and one of the rival schools in our district had two big guys that went D1. And I remember thinking that both those guys are too soft to play D1. One ended up being a four year starter at Navy, and the other started some as a freshman and William and Mary. Hopefully the rival coaches are judging harshly in this case.
 
he's got great size and good athleticism and skills. he clearly wasn't killing it yet in high school as a junior. if he was, he'd be really tough to land.

I believe based on his HS play he probably was overrated, and wasn't seen as an A10 player. he had a big summer though. was it a fluke or did he find another gear? we'll find out, but until we know I'm going to bet he's still developing. big guys sometimes take longer. let's see how he looks as a HS senior.
 
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I surmise a number of kids had time to reevaluate their standing during the covid period
 
He will be like most frosh we bring in. We will hype him up right now because everyone on their HS highlight tape looks good. But in reality - he likely won't play much his frosh year - as that is the majority of frosh don't play significant minutes under Mooney. But we will bash Mooney for not "finding minutes" for him.
My advice - lets wait until the kid is a Sophmore/Junior in college until we determine if he is any good.
 
SpiderTrap said:
He will be like most frosh we bring in. We will hype him up right now because everyone on their HS highlight tape looks good. But in reality - he likely won't play much his frosh year - as that is the majority of frosh don't play significant minutes under Mooney. But we will bash Mooney for not "finding minutes" for him.
My advice - lets wait until the kid is a Sophmore/Junior in college until we determine if he is any good.
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He's gonna play his freshman year for the simple fact that our roster will demand it. Grace and Sal may stay for a 5th year or they may not. Even if they both stay, they are the only bigs on the roster. So this kid will get time, unless he is so unready for college ball that Mooney is too embarrassed to put him on the floor. I don't think that will be the case.

But also take PAspider comments as well in assessment. Hopefully this kid is really well motivated to improve his game because it appears that he has both the size and abilities to be a good player.
 
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You may be correct 97 - I was assuming Sal and Grace stick around, but if not - he will play and our roster will be depleted. This might be the best case scenario, because under Mooney - I think this is the quickest way to get back to an NCAA caliber team. Play young guys early on - struggle, but when they are Juniors and Seniors, we should hopefully be competitive again. it worked with our back to back NCAA teams, and it is the same path this current team has taken. If we wait till they are Juniors/Seniors to fill in for departing positions - they never seem to be able to step in right away and make an impact.
This season - play the upperclassmen as they give us best shot to win. Next season - play the younger guys and go through struggles for 2 years and hope the experience pays off.
 
Sorry, I won’t share any opinions of people who have scouted him or coached against him anymore. My bad. I should stick to amateur scouting of YouTube highlights instead.
Also, I stated, “Guess we will see,” but I guess it would be more accurate to state that he’s just like Grant so no worries.
 
I appreciate you sharing what you heard, PA.
I also hope Walz has become a better player since then. That coach will get another look or two at him this year. Hopefully he's more impressed this winter.
 
PASpider keep on keepin on! That’s good info and what we want to hear.

I have seen him play. At least a half a dozen times. As I said earlier in this string, he’s got a lot of work to do if he’s going to help us. A lot of work. I can’t comment on how hard he works off the court, but on the court, he‘s certainly not the most aggressive guy, although I wouldn’t call him passive. He just sorta plays at the level of whoever he plays against. Intensity wise.

Have not seen him this summer however, so we can all hope he’s been working hard.

But to show how reliable these reviews (mine anyway) can be, I saw Michael Bridges play about 50 or more games in High School. When he signed with Villanova I said it was an “over signing“ and he’d never help them. When he red shirted freshman year and jay Wright said he needed a lot of work, I declared victory. But he worked his butt off and Nova knows how to develop players. A lottery pick and playing in an NBA Championship later, it’s possible I may have been wrong!
 
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As I alluded to before, what is in your mind that there is a need to be negative of a kid
not even out of high school yet? I guess it makes you feel as if you are some sort of basketball
guru.
Do I think he may be the next Tim Duncan? Not likely. But being naive, I will at least let him
dribble a ball at Robins.
 
PA you were clear you were reporting what was told by others. I understand the comments had a negative tone and I had no problem with that. If an athlete thinks every comment made about him/her will be positive they will never be happy.
 
PASpider said:
Spoke to a rival high school coach and a college coach about Walz. Neither were enthused about his work ethic and both questioned his low scoring totals. Both used the term “overrated” and questioned his ability to play in the A-10. Guess we will see.
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PASpider - thank you for an informative post.

Hmm, let's see, an assessment from a rival H.S. coach (who has seen him repeatedly) and a college coach, versus some message board posters who may or may not have seen a highlight tape. Whose assessment is more likely to be accurate?

Doesn't mean that the recruit is doomed to failure and will never amount to anything. No-body said that. Depends on how bad he wants it and how hard he works.

It does likely mean that he isn't college ready, and that there are serious questions as to whether he will be effective at an A-10 level. It should legitimately raise red flags for anyone who wants Richmond basketball to succeed. Especially since at this moment, Walz is the heir apparent big man on the roster.
 
It should go without saying at this point that most 6'10" guys we land are going to have some work to do. Otherwise they'd go to a P5 school. This kid sounds like he has a lot in common with Grant, which if he develops similarly could be a very good thing. Grant plays passively at times but also has come a long way since he arrived.
 
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PhillySpider said:
PASpider keep on keepin on! That’s good info and what we want to hear.

I have seen him play. At least a half a dozen times. As I said earlier in this string, he’s got a lot of work to do if he’s going to help us. A lot of work. I can’t comment on how hard he works off the court, but on the court, he‘s certainly not the most aggressive guy, although I wouldn’t call him passive. He just sorta plays at the level of whoever he plays against. Intensity wise.

Have not seen him this summer however, so we can all hope he’s been working hard.

But to show how reliable these reviews (mine anyway) can be, I saw Michael Bridges play about 50 or more games in High School. When he signed with Villanova I said it was an “over signing“ and he’d never help them. When he red shirted freshman year and jay Wright said he needed a lot of work, I declared victory. But he worked his butt off and Nova knows how to develop players. A lottery pick and playing in an NBA Championship later, it’s possible I may have been wrong!
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Plays to the level of competition is a great description of some players. It takes a while for them to learn to play at an intense level every time they are on the court. I will say this but know I am going to be criticized for it, but Cayo came in shy and hesitant and then developed into a rim attacker on both ends of the court.
 
PASpider said:
Sorry, I won’t share any opinions of people who have scouted him or coached against him anymore. My bad. I should stick to amateur scouting of YouTube highlights instead.
Also, I stated, “Guess we will see,” but I guess it would be more accurate to state that he’s just like Grant so no worries.
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You have nothing to apologize for. Thanks for the information and scouting reports.
 
PhillySpider said:
PASpider keep on keepin on! That’s good info and what we want to hear.

I have seen him play. At least a half a dozen times. As I said earlier in this string, he’s got a lot of work to do if he’s going to help us. A lot of work. I can’t comment on how hard he works off the court, but on the court, he‘s certainly not the most aggressive guy, although I wouldn’t call him passive. He just sorta plays at the level of whoever he plays against. Intensity wise.

Have not seen him this summer however, so we can all hope he’s been working hard.

But to show how reliable these reviews (mine anyway) can be, I saw Michael Bridges play about 50 or more games in High School. When he signed with Villanova I said it was an “over signing“ and he’d never help them. When he red shirted freshman year and jay Wright said he needed a lot of work, I declared victory. But he worked his butt off and Nova knows how to develop players. A lottery pick and playing in an NBA Championship later, it’s possible I may have been wrong!
Click to expand...
I think everyone was in the same boat with you regarding Bridges. Never imagined he’d be a starter in the NBA finals.
 
AnnapSpider said:
As I alluded to before, what is in your mind that there is a need to be negative of a kid
not even out of high school yet? I guess it makes you feel as if you are some sort of basketball
guru.
Do I think he may be the next Tim Duncan? Not likely. But being naive, I will at least let him
dribble a ball at Robins.
Click to expand...
Old man yelling at a cloud.
 
some nearby PA schools offered early based on his size and potential, but I think UR and Penn State and others probably agreed with the HS coaches' assessment since we didn't offer based on his play through his junior year of HS. he wasn't good enough at that point.

but then he had a strong AAU summer, or at least a strong few games at the right time with the right guys in the gym. all we can do know is hope that small sample is who he is now and hope UR can bring that out of him every night.

Walz won't be handed the 5 spot. he's got to earn that. whether in this class or the next, he'll have competition.
 
Nice interview with Walz...

www.cityofbasketballlove.com

Conestoga's Walz hoping to be next centerpiece for Richmond

Matthew Ryan (@matthewryan02) When Michael Walz was just three years old, he began playing the sport he considers his first love: golf. Been doing it all my life,” he said. “It’s one of my favorite hobbies to do and to destress and get away from this hectic life.”
www.cityofbasketballlove.com www.cityofbasketballlove.com
 
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SFspidur said:
Nice interview with Walz...

www.cityofbasketballlove.com

Conestoga's Walz hoping to be next centerpiece for Richmond

Matthew Ryan (@matthewryan02) When Michael Walz was just three years old, he began playing the sport he considers his first love: golf. Been doing it all my life,” he said. “It’s one of my favorite hobbies to do and to destress and get away from this hectic life.”
www.cityofbasketballlove.com www.cityofbasketballlove.com
Click to expand...
Excellent and informative article. He seems to have his head on tight, can’t wait to see him on campus.
 
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very nice article. interesting mention of "calls with coaches and professors". I never knew professors got involved.

this is the first time we've seen his HS stats. now we have a benchmark for this year. he seems a great fit with the 3 apg.
 
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spider23 said:
Good stuff. I know there is some skepticism, but I still really like this signing. 6'11 now. Think we are buying while the price is still low. It will be interesting to follow his senior year, but seems like he is starting to thrive and is motivated.
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I totally agree, he is beginning to mature and what I like is the fact that he aspires to go to the nba.
 
spider23 said:
Good stuff. I know there is some skepticism, but I still really like this signing. 6'11 now. Think we are buying while the price is still low. It will be interesting to follow his senior year, but seems like he is starting to thrive and is motivated.
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I’ve been reading this thread over the past month and completely agree with this sentiment. After watching several of his highlight videos, you don’t need to be an expert to realize that he has the potential to be a great fit in our system with tons of upside. Let’s face it, Mooney is very strong at identifying centers that have different characteristics than a typical 6’10” player. Plus I think you all are discounting how much improvement we’ve seen from Matt Grace last year, in particular his 3-pt shooting ability, and the leverage the team will get with an additional (5th) year from him.
 
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