C Dallas Lauderdale (official thread)

[BB73]

Welcome to the Buckeye family, Dallas.

[BuckTwenty]

Welcome to the Buckeye family Dallas!! Been waiting for this news for quite some time now!

Wow. What a transformation this team has taken this past week regarding our depth down low. I see Lauderdale being one of those guys that does the "dirty work" in the paint which this team will surely appreciate. A few people suggested he might look elsewhere due to being "stuck" behind Oden, but he will definetly get his share of playing time.

[BuckeyeBanter]

http://http://buckeyebanter.com/2006...bals-with.html

When doing my research on Dallas Lauderdale and Kosta Koufos the last few weeks, I have found that that scouts have mentioned that he is similar to Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons in terms of rebounding and shot blocking. A true force in the blocks.

"Lauderdale, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound center is ranked eighth at his position by rivals.com, and ninth by scout.com. He has been compared by some as a Sam Perkins-type, an impressively built power forward prospect with a gigantic wingspan who is not afraid of contact and can run the floor."

Now I remember Perkins playing for the Seattle SuperSonics, and he could go out and knock down the three-pointer. Another scout has said he is in the mold of Detroit Pistons Ben Wallace, and that Lauderdale is going to need to work on his offensive skills.

One thing is for sure, Matt stresses defense, which makes Lauderdale a perfect fit for Ohio State.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in April when Lauderdale played in the JamFest:

The opposite is true for Dallas Lauderdale, a 6-9 junior forward from Solon (Ohio) who plays for the Cleveland Titans. By playing alongside Ohio State recruit David Lighty, Lauderdale wasn't burdened by carrying the scoring load for his team.

"In my case, I don't have to be the all-time scorer," Lauderdale said. "I'm one of the best players, not just the best -- like on my high school team."

What I read into this quote is that he is going to be a hard-working, blue-collar-type of player who can accept a role and compliment his teammates.

Also, there has been a lot of talk about where Koufos might be play in the Buckeye offense, and here is what he had to say:

"Coach Matta and I reviewed tape about my position. Oden is a year older than me. He might go to the NBA or he might stay two years. It doesn't matter. He said he'll play me at the three or the four. Getting off screens, shooting the elbow jumper, driving the hoop, and passing it out. Dallas Lauderdale (currently a junior at Solon) will be the five man in that case. So we've got all of the Ohio people coming to Ohio State."

This was well before both issued their verbals.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Wow. What a transformation this team has taken this past week regarding our depth down low. I see Lauderdale being one of those guys that does the "dirty work" in the paint which this team will surely appreciate. A few people suggested he might look elsewhere due to being "stuck" behind Oden, but he will definetly get his share of playing time.<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Dallas is a long and athletic big man who has great potential down the road, the staff has definetly improved our frontcourt in the 2006 and 2007 classes, not to mention B.J. Mullens in the 2008 class.

This is now seven top-100s for matta...

A few years ago, this would have been unbelievable, now its almost expected that Matta will land another top 100 player everytime out....

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

6/2/06

Ohio St. lands another top-rated recruit

Center from Solon commits to OSU, giving Matta three consensus top-100 players for the 2007-08 class.

By Doug Harris
Staff Writer

Columbus | Ohio State University basketball coach Thad Matta is piecing together another robust recruiting class to complement the one enrolling this fall.

Dallas Lauderdale, a 6-foot-9, 235-pound center from Solon High School in northeast Ohio, picked the Buckeyes over Syracuse and Louisville on Thursday, giving Matta three consensus top-100 players nationally in the 2007-08 college freshman class.

Lauderdale, who averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks as a junior last season, is rated as the ninth-best center in the nation by Rivals.com and ranked 80th overall by Scout.com, eight spots ahead of University of Dayton-bound Chris Wright of Trotwood-Madison.

Although Lauderdale is still evolving on offense, he is expected to give the Buckeyes enviable depth inside.

"Whatever you get offensively from him is a bonus," said Dave Telep, national recruiting analyst for Scout.com. "He's going to defend his position, rebound his area and be a piece of their front-court puzzle."

Kosta Koufas, a 7-1 power forward from Canton, and Jon Diebler, a 6-7 guard from Upper Sandusky, also will join the Buckeyes in fall 2007. Koufas is rated 15th overall by Scout.com and Diebler 62nd.

One of the most celebrated recruiting classes of all-time — headlined by 7-footer Greg Oden, a candidate for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team — will be suiting up for OSU this season.


Contact this reporter at 225-2125 or

dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/2/06

OSU BASKETBALL

Mom is factor for recruit

Friday, June 02, 2006

Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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Dallas Lauderdale’s decision to play basketball at Ohio State had a lot to do with staying close to home — for a good reason.

Carol Lauderdale, the mother of the 6-foot-9 center from Solon High School, suffers from multiple sclerosis and is in a wheelchair. She will be able to see more of his games at Ohio State than she would have had he gone to Syracuse.

"It was a tremendous factor in my decision," Lauderdale said yesterday after announcing his choice at a news conference at his high school. "I couldn’t see myself going too far away from home.

"She could have gone to games at other places, but not as many."
Lauderdale said OSU coach Thad Matta’s persistent recruitment of him the past three years was another factor.

"I can see myself being successful there," he said.

Lauderdale has been rumored since last fall to be strongly leaning toward Ohio State but said he did not make up his mind until after he visited both the OSU and Syracuse campuses with his parents a few weeks ago.

"Something came over me that (Ohio State) was the place I should go," he said. "I don’t know what it was."

Lauderdale is the third commitment to a 2007 class that probably will include four players. Jon Diebler, a 6-6 guard from Upper Sandusky, committed in September. Kosta Koufos, a 7-1 forward from Canton GlenOak, committed last week.

Coaches hope to round out the class with another tall wing player. Evan Turner, a 6-7 forward from Westchester (Ill.) St. Joseph’s, and 6-7 Alex Tyus of Cincinnati Harmony Community School are thought to be at the top of their list.

Lauderdale’s addition adds more size to a team profile that Matta has raised since coming to Ohio State two years ago. He has recruited six players 6-9 or taller into the program, including three expected to be in uniform next season: 7-foot center Greg Oden and 6-9 forwards Brayden Bell and Othello Hunter.

Another big man who might be considered for a scholarship is 6-10 former Dublin Coffman standout Kyle Madsen. Madsen, who redshirted as a freshman at Vanderbilt last season, was released from his scholarship this week. Ohio State is one of the schools to which his release was faxed.

bbaptist@dispatch.com

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

6/2/06

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

<H1 class=red>Friend, family help OSU land Solon center

</H1>

Friday, June 02, 2006

Eddie Dwyer

Plain Dealer Reporter

All through Dallas Lauderdale's recruiting process, his friend and longtime summer teammate, David Lighty, would lend him two encouraging words.

"Every time I saw him, he would whisper in my ear, 'Ohio State, Ohio State,' " Lauderdale said.

Well, Lighty's consistent re minders and Lauderdale's de sire to stay close to his family helped Ohio State basketball coach Thad Matta land the two-time All-Ohio junior center from Solon High.

"The Ohio State University," said the 6-9 Lauderdale as he announced during a news conference at Solon on Thursday that he chose the Buckeyes over Syracuse and Louisville.

Lighty, a 6-5 All-Ohio guard from Villa Angela-St. Joseph and part of a highly acclaimed recruiting class that will be enrolling at Ohio State this summer, was on hand for Lauderdale's news conference.

Although Lighty will have to wait a year before Lauderdale can join him in Columbus, he is, said Lauderdale, "very happy for me."

Lauderdale, who is wrapping up his junior year, said he plans to sign a national letter of intent with the Buckeyes during the NCAA's early signing period in November. One of the most coveted players in the Midwest, he said getting the recruiting process over early is a tremendous relief.

"Now I can go back to being a kid and prepare for my senior year," said the two-time Plain Dealer All-Star selection.

Lauderdale said he is comfortable with Matta, who began recruiting Lauderdale when Matta was coaching at Xavier.

"I am very impressed with the way coach Matta develops players," Lauderdale said. "His teams have a true vision."

Along with Lauderdale, Matta has secured other significant junior commitments, including Canton GlenOak's 7-1 post/forward Kosta Koufos and Upper Sandusky's 6-6 guard Jon Diebler.

This past season, Lauderdale led the Comets to a second consecutive elite eight appearance in Division I by averaging more than 20 points, more than 10 rebounds and more than three blocks a game. Those efforts also keyed Solon's drive to a top-five state ranking and a second consecutive Plain Dealer poll championship.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

edwyer@plaind.com, 216-999-5169