'08 OH C Kenny Frease (Xavier Signee)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Rivals.com$

5/17/06

Ohio State and Xavier are his two leaders at this point. Michigan, Michigan State, Georgia Tech, Indiana are in contact. Xavier and Cleveland State have offered.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Credit goes to osugrad21 for the find...

Link

6/15/06

Summer critical for Perry big man

By GREG KOHNTOPP
Greg.Kohntopp@IndeOnline.com



Perry basketball star Kenny Frease is just going to be a junior in high school, but the 6-foot-11 center has a very important summer in front of him.

It begins this weekend when Frease heads to St. Louis for the seventh annual Nike Hoop Jamboree, an invitation-only camp which features 120 of the top underclassmen in the nation. The week after the jamboree, Frease will join his Perry teammates at the Xavier University team camp.

Xavier has already offered Frease a scholarship.

Perry head coach Rob Toth believes his star player has the skill set to compete with the nation’s elite, but he says Frease needs to continue to work on his strength and foot speed to prove that he belongs in that group.

“He’s been working on his strength and his foot speed and he’s trying to just put it all together,” said Toth. “He has very good hands and has great shooting touch for a big man. He sees the floor well and his good at passing out of a double team. It’s just about being able to put it all together. I think he has gotten stronger. He has to keep working on his footwork and change of direction. Some of the college coaches have already told him those are the things he needs to improve at, so he knows that.”

While Xavier is Frease’s only major offer to this point, the Musketeers are hardly the only college showing interest. Ohio State has made a strong push lately and schools such as Indiana, Michigan, Louisville, Cincinnati, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Stanford are staying in contact with Frease.

Toth said Ohio State and Xavier are recruiting Frease the hardest.

Ohio State, fresh off one of the top recruiting classes in NCAA history, is recruiting Frease as a center. The Buckeyes, however, just have a trio of solid center recruits already in Greg Oden, Dallas Lauderdale and B.J. Mullens.

Oden, who some believe is the best center prospect since Shaquille O’Neal, will be a freshman this year, while Lauderdale and Mullens are verbal commits. Lauderdale, who plays at Solon, will be a part of the 2007 class, while Mullens – who played at Harvest Prep in suburban Columbus – will be a part of the 2008 class.

Frease is also in the 2008 class. Toth doesn’t know if the commitments the other top centers will play a part in Frease’s recruitment, but the Perry coach hopes it doesn’t.

“Right now, I think Ohio State is in a mode where they are riding a nice wave of enthusiasm and they are trying to get as many good players as they can – post and perimeter,” Toth said. “I know they just received a commitment from Dallas Lauderdale and they have some other guys coming in. My only advice to Kenny is if you see that somebody is bringing in people like that, it should make you work harder to show that you belong in the same class as those other players.”

The Buckeyes also recently received a verbal commitment from GlenOak senior-to-be Kosta Koufos. But the 7-foot-1 Koufos is expected to be more of a perimeter threat at Ohio State.

“Kenny is being recruited strictly as a five (center),” Toth said. “He does have size and he does have bulk. You don’t find to many guys who can put there back to the basket and play in the low post. He has that going for him.”

[akronbuck]

dallas will be a PF so he won't scare off Frease. Matta is just trying to recruit enough of big guys kinda like a Houston Phi Slamma Jamma ,to make it closer to an NBA team and to make it more attractive to those highly recruited players. Its great to have 2 post players on a team but, even better when one of those 2 post can play outside like a Kosta
That age limit changed the college game back to the way it use to be at.

I saw a game of Frease and he has amazing. Great athlete and he's no stick like a Bill robinson was .What his coach means about increasing his foot speed is the way to make him more adjustable to the NBA big guy speed as soon as possible. He will be playing there one day and he moves pretty good already for a young player.

[buckeydoptimist]

akron,
I'm pretty sure they consider Dallas as more of a C than a PF. Koufos was told he'd be playing the 4 ( PF ) and that is his best position with his combination of size and skills. I think they see Lauderdale as the bridge C between Oden and Mullens. Koufos and Madsen are both being projected as 4's because of their outside shooting. Dallas is an inside power guy more suited for the 5 ( which is the one-in in the 1-4 Matta has been using ).

Not that they won't offer Frease and take him as well. With Oden, Twig and Hunter all possibly leaving after the 07-08 season we may see the staff sign 2 C's.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Frease has the attention of the staff and if he continues to improve and develop, he is a possible target in the 2008 class, regardless of Mullens. I really like Frease, I think he is under the radar right now but he improved so much last year that I think he could be a sleeper.

Lauderdale is a 5
Koufous is a 4
Madsen is a 4 and could back-up at the 5
Mullens is a 5

[akronbuck]

Originally Posted by buckeydoptimist

akron,
I'm pretty sure they consider Dallas as more of a C than a PF. Koufos was told he'd be playing the 4 ( PF ) and that is his best position with his combination of size and skills. I think they see Lauderdale as the bridge C between Oden and Mullens. Koufos and Madsen are both being projected as 4's because of their outside shooting. Dallas is an inside power guy more suited for the 5 ( which is the one-in in the 1-4 Matta has been using ).

Not that they won't offer Frease and take him as well. With Oden, Twig and Hunter all possibly leaving after the 07-08 season we may see the staff sign 2 C's.

very true as of now. I was thinking of his future AFTER HE ADDS MORE TO HIS GAME.Dallas really has just inside scoring options eventhough, he shot a lot from outside this season . Is he a big ten outside scorer like a koufos, no way but, I see the buckeyes playing the two big guys like the detroit pistons play the 2 wallaces together and as of now he's a Ben wallace type. Call it two centers or 2 PF's really doesnt matter.
The game has changed so much, there really isn't to many true centers anymore ,with all these talented big players. Matta is taking care of that college/NBA preparation big time. That can do nothing but, help all these players develope and bring more big players in. Dallas is only 6 8 or 69 and we all know, what kind of coach Matta is, so he'll try to develope Dallas as more of a complete player to go with his size to give him better chances in his maybe, NBA future. Basketball is the best sport to get better because, all these great players have been playing against each other for years before college so they have a huge advantage to improve before college. Thats another reason why I laugh at that one year wait for the NBA.

[akronbuck]

sorry back to Frease. He's a true center and loves to bang down low. There really isn't to many old school centers playing now a days, due to most of the young players having a nice combo of outside/insides players and the size of 7 0 footers with only center skills like a ODEN. OSU is watching him big time and I really like his game for his age. If OSU gets him he would be the true low post player for them.

[bucksfan987]

The rumor is that Frease was the voted the overall top player at the Nike Hoop Jamboree.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

The rumor is that Frease was the voted the overall top player at the Nike Hoop Jamboree.

Frease reportedly played very well at the event, I would expect a full report of the event to be available in the next few days.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Scout.com$

6/19/06

2006 Hoop Jamboree recap.....Frease is called the most improved player there from last year.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Rivals.com$

6/20/06

More Nike Hoop Jamboree Recap.....Frease is listed as a top 2008 post prospect. Displayed nice moves inside and the ability to score, needs to improve his foot speed.

[wadc45]

Bucknuts $

6/28/06

By Kyle Lamb...Frease performed well at the Nike Jamboree. He is looking forward to match-ups this season against Kosta, Dallas and Delvon. Xavier and Indiana have offered and ND and OSU may be close.

[HotMic]

Nice to hear! I would love to see Frease end up a Buckeye!

A question to you guys: If we land Frease and Mullens do you see Kenny playing the PF and Mullens at C, or would they both play C?

[wadc45]

Originally Posted by HotMic

Nice to hear! I would love to see Frease end up a Buckeye!

A question to you guys: If we land Frease and Mullens do you see Kenny playing the PF and Mullens at C, or would they both play C?

Honestly the update wasn't the most positive for OSU. He specifically mentions the fact that we have three 7-footers committed (although we all know Kosta isn't your typical 7-footer). I would rather see us bring in a class of Mullens, Offutt, Roe, Crater and Buford.

[akronbuck]

Originally Posted by wadc45

Honestly the update wasn't the most positive for OSU. He specifically mentions the fact that we have three 7-footers committed (although we all know Kosta isn't your typical 7-footer). I would rather see us bring in a class of Mullens, Offutt, Roe, Crater and Buford.

thats sad because, he's a true low post center. Not to many 7 0 footers like that now a days. Most the big kids try to be more of an complete player like a nowitski,garnett and gasol instead of a pure center only