Purdue Basketball Recruiting 2013: Boiler Blog Roundup

H&R is far from the only Purdue blog out there, as there are three other fine Purdue sites out there where we can band together with this common mental illness that comes form being a Purdue fan. As expected, they are also excited with the addition of Bryson Scott, Kendall Stephens, and Basil Smotherman Jr. Here is what they had to say about the signings that came in yesterday:

Boiled Sports:

Point guard, Bryson Scott is one of the best defenders in the nation, according to Rivals.com...and if you see him play, you'll quickly understand why he has that reputation. Physically, he's pretty solid, but mentally, he sets himself apart. Scott seems to love contact, especially on defense and doesn't back down from anyone. He has quick hands and doesn't take plays off...on offense, his stop and pop help create space and his athleticism is often overlooked because his tenacity and scrappiness is more of the story.

Boilerdowd compares Scott to Chris Kramer in terms of his tenacity, something that will be very welcome on the floor of Mackey Arena. He also compares Stephens to David Teague and Smotherman to a quicker Robbie Hummel.

The Black Hammer:

Basil Smotherman is really a do everything sort of player. He is super versatile and can play the 2,3,4, or sometimes the 5 similar to D.J. Byrd. He's athleticism has improved over the past year and so has his scoring ability. Basil like to stick to mid-range pull-ups and plays in the post. He can post up and does well against bigger guys. He's athletic enough to find a way to get the shot off. Basil's range is decent. He can make a three but is more suited for the 15-17 footer. He will be likely to get a lot of playing time early on because of his versatility. Painter loves to have the option to play small if the opportunity arises and with Simpson and Smotherman, that gives him two options to do so.

Eric has scouted these guys extensively over the last few years and has one of the most comprehensive sets of profiles on both current commits and targets through 2016. He also compares Scott to Kramer with a better offensive skill set.

The Railroad Tie:

One of the biggest criticisms leveled against this program over the past few years is that Purdue was never able to capitalize on the recruiting success in 2007 in the subsequent classes. That is certainly not that case this time around, as an excellent 2012 class is being followed by a 2013 class that is just as good. Each player in the 2013 class gives Purdue talented players at positions of need. Bryson Scott as a point guard who can play both in relief of Ronnie Johnson but also alongside him to take advantage of his superb scoring ability. Kendall Stephens as a wing who can score reliably from distance. And Basil Smotherman, a versatile athlete who can play either on the blocks or out on the wing, and who can guard nearly every position on the court.

Hank talks extensively about Stephens' injury, which will likely keep him off the court this season and prevent him from gaining the strength he needs to play at the collegiate level. Still, he's an excellent shooter.