by Kevin Trahan (@k_trahan)
There's lots to get to in Northwestern cyberspace today, so let's get to it!
Praise for Sina
Despite dropping to a 3-star in both Scout and Rivals' recruiting rankings, Jaren Sina is still widely regarded as a star player and one of the best Northwestern basketball pickups in history. He received even more praise over the weekend from Scout's Evan Daniels, who did an interview with PurpleWildcats.com's Jeremy Woo.
Daniels had lots to say in the interview, but he emphasized what a great fit Sina will be at NU.
“Jaren Sina is a great fit for Northwestern, and a perfect fit for their system,” said Daniels. “I think it was a great decision for him; the way they run their offense and his style of play fit together well.
Sina won't be in Evanston for another year, but this is certainly a big pickup for NU fans to look forward to, both because he will help play on the floor and can possibly lure other top recruits to Evanston.
Also, make sure to follow Jeremy Woo (@Jeremy_Woo) on Twitter. He's covering NU basketball for Purple Wildcats and is very plugged into the Chicago recruiting scene, helping scout for Swag Air.
Receiving Accolades
Northwestern's receiving corps received high praise from Athlon Sports magazine, as they ranked the unit No. 2 in the Big Ten behind Nebraska. They called the Wildcats' receiving corps "absolutely loaded" — they added that they don't typically use that word when writing about NU — and praised the depth at the position. They didn't stop there either, adding...
...Pat Fitzgerald has more talent at the position than maybe any Northwestern team in history.
The NU receivers will certainly be a strength this season, but Kain Colter's passing game must improve before the fall in order to fully utilize such a strong group. However, they'll also help make Colter's transition easier.
Also, check out how Chris and I ranked the Big Ten receiver units at The Daily Northwestern this spring.
Recruiting Madness
Is college football recruiting going off the edge? It depends on who you ask, but this recruiting nugget got some folks angry over the weekend when top recruit Robert Nkemdiche — a Clemson commit — hinted that he may not sign with the Tigers unless they offer his high school teammate, running back Ryan Carter, a scholarship, as well. Nkemdiche didn't say that was a deal breaker, but he definitely implied it would help Clemson's security with his commitment. Here's what he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
"I am waiting on Clemson to offer Ryan; when that happens, it's locked … it's a done deal … it's over."
Ole Miss, who is also on Nkemdiche's radar, reportedly offered Carter a scholarship the day after Nkemdiche committed to Clemson. Here's what Nkemdiche had to say on that subject:
"If Clemson doesn't offer Ryan, it would make me look at Ole Miss a little more, it would," Nkemdiche said. "It's very important that I have my boys with me."
Obviously, this puts Clemson coach Dabo Swinney in a tough spot. Does he allow a recruit to call the shots or does he put his foot down — assuming he doesn't think Carter is good enough to play at Clemson — and risk losing a top recruit? It's a tough question and it's certainly causing Nkemdiche to take some heat, but we'll likely see more and more of this as the recruiting business gets even tougher and bigger.
More Links
Nick Brilowski at NU Sports sat down with senior Louisville transfer Jared Swopshire to talk about his first summer as a Wildcat.
College football season is inching closer, but if you're in need of something to tie you over until September 1, check out these cool photos taken of Kain Colter, Kyle Prater and Tony Jones.