Let's review

    Vacation is over and the official start of the 2009 preseason –- Big Ten football media days in Chicago –- is exactly four weeks from today. Can you believe it?

    Much has happened in my time away…
    * First of all, the deepest of sympathy goes to the family of Saginaw High coach Lou Dawkins, after the tragic and shocking loss of his 14-year-old son, Dorian. Dorian collapsed during the annual Izzo Shootout at MSU on June 12 and passed away early the next morning of an apparent heart attack. Here is an account that sheds some light on the horror of that night. Unfathomable.

    * My last post before leaving speculated that while MSU led for William Gholston, it would probably be a long time and a lot of twists before he made a choice. Wrong again. He committed to MSU right after the one-day camp. And Mylan Hicks committed. And Taylor Calero got an offer and committed. And Joe Boisture became MSU’s 2010 quarterback, days after Robert Bolden was supposed to do so.         Whatever exactly happened with Bolden, he has moved on to consider Penn State and Oregon, and Boisture –- a Boston College commitment previously –- contacted MSU when he learned that the spot remained open.
    Here are some thoughts from Boisture on his commitment in a piece by our Dan Kilbridge.
    Gholston (No. 47) and Boisture (No. 90) are the only two prospects from the state in the Rivals.com national top 100.
    So the 2010 class suddenly looks like it has a chance to approach its much-celebrated predecessor. Individually, Gholston is a commitment in the mold of a Charles Rogers, T.J. Duckett, Jeff Smoker (and Edwin Baker, for that matter). A guy who picked MSU over countless high-level offers. A perception changer and someone who can sway others to choose MSU. We have no idea how good he’ll be as a player, but his impact will be felt long before his college career takes shape.
    Mark Dantonio’s staff tried to get others like him in the past. By all accounts, MSU was in there late for Joseph Barksdale (LSU), Ron Johnson (USC) and Nick Perry (also USC). Now the Spartans have nabbed a big one, and they led all the way. That doesn’t guarantee it’ll keep happening, but from a pure recruiting standpoint this program appears to be in its best position in 20 years.
    Very strong in the state, in Detroit, in Ohio. Do they need to expand south more? It can’t hurt. Some, such as our pal Tim Staudt, say it’s imperative, that getting top players in the Midwest is not enough.
    To me, if you have 20 cousins from the same high school in Canton, Ohio, at various positions and they can all play, why go elsewhere?
    I agree that there’s more talent down South. But if you’re getting the best in Michigan (which MSU hasn’t done in a long time), if you’re getting commitments from kids with U-M offers (which, correct me if I’m wrong, John L. Smith did once, with Kellen Davis), if you’re getting next crack after Ohio State in that talent-rich state, you can build a heck of a team.
    Speaking of Florida and John L., he did all right there. His first class featured Floridians Griff Howard, Joe Toth, Jamar Jones and Irving Campbell. No one knew much about them, but hey, they were from Florida so they had to be good, right?
    And I’m really not trying to pick on John L. here (that first class was thrown together on short time), I’m just trying to illustrate that geography is overrated.
    I will pick on Tim some more, since we’ll probably argue about this in a couple days. He doubts that you can build a “national championship team” with local kids in this region. That roster must be overwhelmed by Southerners. But if you look at the U-M team that got a share of the national title in 1997, 14 starters and 70 percent of the roster were from northern states, with seven starters from Michigan and two apiece from Ohio and Illinois.
    Southerners such as Chris Howard, James Hall and Steve Hutchinson made a difference, no doubt about it. But Michigan built that team mostly within its region.
    And what about the 2002 Ohio State BCS champs? Of the 120 players on that team’s official roster, 88 (73.3 percent) were from Ohio. Another 12 were from northern states.
    The starting lineup featured 14 Ohioans, six on offense and eight on defense. Eighteen northern players. There were two Floridian starters –- receiver Michael Jenkins and DB/WR Chris Gamble.
    In both cases, the foundation was built locally, with some difference makers sprinkled in from elsewhere. It’s true, there are a lot of speedy kids in the Southern states. But who was the speediest, best player on either of those teams? Charles Woodson from Fremont, Ohio.
    Anyway, Michigan State should work on a Big Ten championship before anyone starts talking national title. Local can get that done. And it’s not like the MSU staff is ignoring the South. They have signed eight such recruits in three classes, with two from Florida, two from Georgia, one from Texas, one from Kentucky, one from Tennessee and one from Virginia. Three of those eight kids have already defected, by the way.

    * On the basketball side of things, Goran Suton was drafted in the second round, No. 50 overall, by the Utah Jazz last week. Here is a thorough recap from Chris Solari, with some very telling comments from Jazz GM Kevin O’Connor.
    Suton (who joins Morris Peterson in the front window of the Tom Izzo Player Development Hall of Fame) is the latest example of just how important the NCAA Tournament is to a player’s future. Measurables are essential, workouts are huge, but NBA people want to see what you do between the lines when the pressure is at its highest. I firmly believe Suton earned himself this reward with what he did in March, and that an early MSU flameout probably would have left him undrafted.
    Utah is a good spot for him, and I think he can make that team this year and have a solid career. Despite the so-so athleticism, he has a lot to offer. He can shoot, pass and guard the pick-and-roll. Now just MAKE LAYUPS!
    As for the other three MSU seniors, I’d expect all three to end up overseas somewhere, after taking a shot in the NBA summer leagues. Marquise Gray is the one guy I could see making a GM stroke his chin for a few extra seconds.
    Some eyebrows raised, by the way, at this comment Gray made to me before the draft: “At MSU I don’t feel like I ever showcased the things I can do on a consistent basis.”
    My reaction is, he’s absolutely right. He never got to showcase all the things he can do, because he was never able to earn enough minutes. I’ve seen the guy do all kinds of ridiculous stuff in practice and pick-up games, and you’ve seen some amazing displays of athleticism in games.
    At a program where defense isn’t as important, Gray probably could have played a lot more and put up strong numbers. But would he have been any more ready for the NBA? Was he kept off the floor unjustly at MSU? I don’t get the feeling he subscribes to either belief, but if he does … there’s this big river in Egypt…

    * Sticking with MSU basketball, here’s a story about Austin Thornton and young fatherhood that earned quite a response, positive and negative. Some people were upset that we featured his story on 1A on Father’s Day, rather than someone who is married to the mother, supports his child financially, has Ward Cleaver’s haircut, etc., etc.
    Obviously, this is a story because Thornton is an MSU basketball player and a public figure. It’s also the story of a mistake, a difficult situation, two kids stepping up to take responsibility –- and of two other fathers, and mothers, who are doing what they can to give the child a good life. Is that offensive?

    * Finally, here’s a disappointing tale of an injury and lost opportunity for Nicole Bush -- one of the best athletes on the MSU campus over the past few years -- that never should have happened. Here’s a bit more on the fiasco. Kudos to Bush for finishing the race anyway, and hopefully she’ll bounce back and continue to compete at a high level.

Comments

[Huh?]

Izzo shootout?

[Joe Rexrode]

Yes, it's an annual tournament involving high school teams from around the state.

[Marc]

I cannot help but notice the contrast between the sadness involved in the Dawkins family tragedy and people offended by the Thornton story. Some people need to get a clue.

[Mr. Tanfan, et al]

Joe,

Great recap of recent events. It's good to have you back.

[Tanfan]

Anything new with Cousins? he's dreamy!

[Stone]

How we gonna kill this month before media day?

[Greg]

Football

Good points on recruiting, but do you think MSU can really dominate the state? or finish # 2 in Ohio..I don't.. Boisture & Gholston had clear MSU ties, much the way that Duckett & C Rogers did. There are always instances where local kids really want to stay home, and have ties to MSU.. Boisture clearly stated that distance and his families ties to MSU were the difference makers.

I think Tim is right on! You can't hope to replicate OSU's formula..OHIO is a hotbed for talent, and they usually take the cream of the crop..followed my Um which nabbed the #1 player in Ohio last year: Justin Turner.. Also in the past..Woodson, Grbac, Des Howard, Mario Manningham< Shawn crable, etc.. Dont get carried away buddy!

[Rexrode (evil twin)]

good to have ya back Joe. i have to say i am pumped about this years football season and would gladly fast forward through summer to fall. which i know is crazy talk, but still the success of 07 and 08 have built so much hype for this season. perhaps (to kill this month as one poster suggested) we start a weekly examination of MSU's realistic chances game by game. taking into account what we lost and gained from last year as well as how the teams we played last year have improved. and the ones we didnt play last year may have gotten better or worse. some people say this schedule looks easier, but personally i am nervous about the four game stretch of ND, Wiscy, Michigan and Illini. if michigan and ND have improved the way the pundits predict and if illinois perfects thier offense. all 4 of those games could be a big L and send the season down the tubes early. its scary to think that At Camp Randall may be our surest victory of that bunch. i know we have owned ND in south bend the last several years but how long can that last? and those of you that think UofM will just roll over and stink again need to get a clue. Illinois i dont think we played since 06 when they shocked us at home...after we lost to ND and then got hammered by OSU and UofM. this years schedule seems to be more back loaded with wimps like Western and Purdue. my early gut prediction is 8-4 this year. anyone wanna challenge that?

[Joe Rexrode]

Welcome, Michigan fan. Do I think MSU can dominate the state? I didn't say that. But they are doing better in the state than they have for a long time. Getting the top recruit in Gholston is a good start, those guys have been going out of state in recent years. As for the ties to MSU, that's true for Duckett and Boisture, but not for Gholston and Rogers. And as for Ohio recruiting, Michigan has always been strong there and will continue to recruit well there (don't forget Toussaint last year). Notre Dame will get guys from there as well, and so will Penn State and Illinois. But MSU has been much stronger there in the past couple years. Greg Jones, Oren Wilson, Chris L. Rucker, B.J. Cunningham, Johnny Adams, Jerel Worthy, David Rolf, Nate Klatt, Patrick White to name a few. The statement was that MSU is in its best shape in years on the recruiting trail. That doesn't mean it's about to start dominating the Big Ten and beating USC regularly for recruits.

[Tampa Bay 65]

Give em hell Joe..

[Greg]

Fair enough! I respect your opinion. I think my respone was geared towards the fans that are saying State is dominating because of the Boisture & Gholston commits.
I want to point out that State deserves respect for it's tradition of NFL players, and will always get their share of good players..But to imply that this is somehow a turning point is a little pre mature! Michigan would not trade Gardner for anyone! He fits their scheme perfectly.. Gholston was a hell of a get, but UM was never considered because of his coaches ties..Last year they took the #1 player(big will) & the fastest( Teric Jones).

Do MICH fans think they now own OHIO because they got the#1 player last year( Justin Turner)? No...

[Joe Rexrode]

That's OK, Greg. As a reporter who covers MSU, not a fan, I detect a pretty significant change from how the program recruited in the several years prior to Dantonio. For a good while when Lloyd Carr was coach, U-M got its pick of the best in the state, and MSU got the next tier, with the occasional big victory (Duckett, Charles Rogers). I believe Gholston is now the sixth player with a Michigan offer who picked Dantonio's program. Any MSU fan who says MSU "owns" or "dominates" the state is out of hand, but the Spartans are winning some big battles. That's definitely a change.

[Marc]

Greg - Gholston never considered UM because of his coach? Doubtful. That's just rationalization. A kid won't cross a school off his list, especially a school like UM, simply because his coach didn't go there. It may have influenced him towards MSU, but to say that UM wasn't considered is just as much as overstatement as saying MSU "dominates" a state.

[kmarv]

Great Story about Austin and Carson! It's sad that since a white kid with a good GPA is a teenage father everyone is outraged. When it is a black player from Flint people don't blink. Carson is lucky to grow up with two loving parents who care about him. Keep up the great work Joe!!!

[Greg]

Gholston... Just saying, it was pretty much common knowledge that Um was not ever a true option for him.. Not knocking MSU for that, It is was it is.. Just saying that it was not a big surprise. Kinda like Stanton to MSU..Rogers to MSU(if he stayed in state) Duckett to MSU(If he couldn't get in ND) There are some players with strong ties to a school, or a region.. If you can win a battle out of state, with no apparent ties, then your on to something.

A better question would be?? Where are the next 10-17 guys gonna come from? Give me more than 10 with MSU in their top 3... Scout.com will help you if you need help. Unless your satisfied with 6 verbals.??? You may give me 3-4 solid guys, but then it gets UGLY...MAC Ugly

[chooch]

Just because you asked Greg, the following 13 players have all named MSU in their top 5.

Austin White (3 star RB)
Shakim Phillips (4 star WR)
Tyrone Williams (4 star WR)
Tony Jones (3 star WR)
Andrew Donnal (4 star OT)
Skyler Schofner (3 star OT)
C.J. Olaniyan (4 star DE)
Dakota Royer (4 star DE)
Darryl Baldwin (3 star DE)
Sean Watson (3 star DT)
Jewone Snow (3 star LB)
Dior Mathis (4 star DB)
Earnest Thomas (3 star DB)

Before you knock the 3 star players, check out their other offers.

With that said, there are 74 uncommited players rated 3 stars and above considering MSU. Most of these players have not yet shortened their schools of interest.

I know you are hoping that the rest of MSU's class will be "MAC Ugly," but Dantonio isn't done yet. Looks like another gem to me!

[PST]

owned....

[NMichSpartan]

Anywhere you go in the state you hear that Dantonio is a class act. It could be a clinic for pop warner kids, Coach D is going to be hands on and show people that he cares and that the state matters. People are getting the message, high school coaches are getting the message, top level recruits in the midwest are getting the message. Sorry if that doesn't mesh well with the world view from Ann Arbor. The Wolverines don't want to deal with having a consistent winner in their own back yard.

[ChuckfromSt.Johns]

Welcome back Joe:

So and so didn't pick UM because of "Common Knowledge" Yeah, That's it.
No wait, so and so didn't pick UM 'cause the coach didn't....
YEAH! THAT'S IT!!!!!!

Those 4 and 5 star players really impressed the MAC level players from Appalachian State, didn't they!?!?!? Well, maybe not.
Talk about UGLY!!!!!!!

[psyc]

It's what Coach D is building, not a specific class that should be making the bluebellies nervous. Like Bo did way back in the day when UM was a joke, Dantonio is building a network that will continue to pay off in the future without all the effort. This will obviously leave more time to branch out to other areas.

I understand we live in a "give it to me NOW" society! But I would rather see a coach build a program for the long term as opposed to getting a few good classes (however possible) so he can pad his resume and move on to the next job!! Yes, Nick Saban scared me!

[Paul]

Greg,

So MSU got their players due to "ties"..& then you trumpet Big Will & Teric Jones (Who wanted to go to MSU..but, MSU didn't have room) as recruiting victories, both of whom played HS ball under former UM player Thomas Wilcher..I'm sure his UM ties had nothing to do with where they ended up, eh??

It goes both ways..Ties are a part of the process..MD is building those ties, what is RR doing?

[ChuckfromSt.Johns]

Paul,

As Gabby Hayes would urge Roy:

"Go get'em buckaroo".....

Let the "Games" begin..
And here we've been led to believe for, oh so many years by our UoM friends that they were FULL of "Uncommon" knowledge...

[primedsc]

Where did Greg go?

[Spartan58]

Football is still heading in the right direction and MD still has more work to do. The fact that we are even having a discussion about MSU being #1 in the state is proof that good things are happening.

"Booby" Williams not only burned down the house of spartans, he pissed on the ashes and had the foundation hauled away. JL came in with the deck stacked against him and his own antics didn't help his cause any. The fact that JL did what he did with the players he did, was a probably the best we could have hoped for. Which isn't saying too much.

MD came into a program that was in much better shape than when JL found, it but still miles to go. In 3 short years he has turned the perception of MSU football from finding a way to choke in amazing fashion, to grinding out games and moving up nationally in the recruiting game.

To compare what MSU has done in 3 years recruiting to what UM has done in 2 years under RR, is comparing apples to oranges. UM already was established in the state, the Midwest, and nationally. MSU has had to start from square one.

If we are going to contend for a BT title we have to win the in-state recruiting battle. Have to. And if it means taking sloppy seconds from Ohio for a few years.... so be it. OSU cannot give a scholarship to every great kid from the state of ohio, some will get away. I believe the best recruiter for UM as far as talent from Ohio was John Cooper. How many times did he get burned by what should have been his own kids.

Once we control our backyard, which I think we have turned a corner on, we have more weight to recruit other places. It will take a few more years but its coming.

Our friend down the road is in for a big surprise when the late season games roll around and he tries to razzle dazzle teams in the cold weather and the wind. Not too mention the smaller kids don't seem to hold up well when they get hit again and again in the cold weather. I see UM recruiting doing well for a another year or two, but than late season collapses coming down the stretch will do them in.

GO GREEN

[truegreen]

staudt is an idiot. I dont think he has ever had an opinion that has panned out. If anyone thinks he is ever right, you need to get yourself checked out.

Dantonio is making all the right moves, keep the talent coming, but we gotta get some size and speed in the secondary and receiving corps.