Hilltoppers Ink Ayinde Sprewell
Dec 18, 2013; Bowling Green, KY, USA; A general view of E.A. Diddle Arena prior to the game between the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Ed. note – If there’s something we haven’t done a great job with here on Wave the Red Towel, it’s covering recruiting. Well, all of that is about to change. At least, we hope.
Yesterday, Ray Harper and the WKU athletics department announced the singing of Ayinde Sprewell, who spent last season at Daytona State College (JUCO) and will be able to play for the Tops come next November. At DSC, Sprewell averaged a near double-double with 15 points and eight rebounds per contest, and averages around 30 minutes on the floor. And not that it matters much, but he is the nephew of NBA veteran Latrell Sprewell. Pretty cool, huh?
Coming in as a 6-3 guard, Sprewell will be a welcome addition to next year’s squad. In my best guestimate, he will rotate starting time with Chris Harrison-Docks or be a season-long (barring any injuries) 6th man, being the first off the bench and playing valuable minutes. With Payton Hulsey leaving the program this past off season, Brandon Harris graduating and Kevin Kaspar battling yearly injuries, the guard position (especially at point) was beginning to look very bleak, with CHD and Brandon Price the (seemingly) only two options at this point for the Tops. But, with Sprewell coming into the mix, he adds size that both CHD and Price (especially Price) lack, and with his scoring ability, a lineup of say – CHD, Trency Jackson, George Fant, T.J. Price and Sprewell – sounds like a great combination for high scoring affairs (unlike what we saw in 2012-2013), and will be a great scoring five to introduce into Conference USA.
Sprewell chose the Tops over Rhode Island, Akron, Detroit, Florida Gulf Coast, Lafayette and Troy. Coach Harper said yesterday of the Sprewell signing:
"Ayinde is a super athlete, and he fits exactly what we were looking for in this recruiting class. He brings the ability to rebound from the perimeter, which will help make us harder to match up against. We are excited to get him to campus and see him develop along with the rest of the team"
Sprewell joins a foursome of freshman to the Hill next year – Derrick Clayton, Jordan Green, Justin Johnson and Avert Patterson. Being the lone non-freshman (and he comes to WKU with two years of eligibility) Sprewell will probably make the biggest impact in the coming season (although, I hear the Johnson kid is quite the stud too).
The years of freshman coming to the team and making an impact early are, hopefully under Harper, over. While 2011 was magical with T.J., George and Derrick Gordon, Harper has been able to build off of past year’s success, as well as dominate the JUCO recruiting trail.
So, with all that said, what do YOU think of the Sprewell signing? Where do you see him fitting into the Hilltopper 2014-2015 season?