The recruits:
PF Josh Davis – 6-8, 220 lbs – The Hun School (Waterloo, Belgium)
Any discussion of Davis begins with his incredible versatility, which led Yale coach James Jones to proclaim that the freshman “has the ability to play all five positions on both sides of the ball.” Prior to a postgrad year at The Hun, Davis played on a dominant high school club in his native Belgium, posting gaudy statistics in nearly every category. His scoring isn’t as well-developed as the other aspects of his game at this point, though he’s far from an offensive liability. Davis is an excellent passer, fitting the bill of “point forward” with a pass-first mentality.
SF Jordan Gibson – 6-5, 185 lbs – Fairfax HS (Fairfax, VA)
Gibson chose Yale early on over interest from Navy and other Patriot League programs. He has excellent athleticism and rebounds and defends very well. Despite playing on the wing in high school, Gibson averaged 9.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game as a senior at Fairfax. Like senior wing Casey Hughes, he just has a nose for the ball coming off the rim and is able to out-quick, out-jump, and out-work the other guys on the floor to come up with the rebound. Jones praised his toughness and desire in the release announcing the recruiting class, though Gibson is going to need to add some bulk for the college game.
C Paul Nelson – 6-10, 220 lbs – Ridgewood HS (Ridgewood, NJ)
The New Jersey big man attracted some attention from high-academic high majors Virginia, Stanford, and Vanderbilt, but ultimately opted for Yale over offers from Vermont, Lehigh, and Davidson. The consensus appears to be that Jones got a steal in Nelson, who is highly regarded by Ivy assistants who have seen him play. He has excellent size, and Jones praises him as the school’s “most athletic post player… since Neil Yanke.” His offensive game and footwork need some work, but with his strong work ethic, Nelson could end up being a star at the Ivy League level.
SG Alex Zampier – 6-3, 185 lbs – Columbia HS (East Greenbush, NY)
After his mother denied rumors that her son had committed to Yale in October, Zampier announced his commitment a month later, deciding on Yale over offers from Fordham and James Madison. The 6-3 guard is a natural scorer with an excellent stroke from the perimeter and holds his school’s single-game scoring record. There are concerns about his quickness, but that shouldn’t be a big problem at the Ivy League level. Zampier’s basketball savvy also drew frequent praise in the scouting reports, and he has the reputation of being a gym rat. In the recruiting class release, Jones praised his versatility, pointing out Zampier played all five positions as a high school senior. He has a decent handle and passes well enough that he could be considered a combo guard, able to play the point for Jones in a pinch.
The fit:
A great class became merely a good class when things didn’t work out with Nate Rohnert — one of the top seniors in Colorado and considered by many to be the centerpiece of James Jones’s recruiting class. Still, there is talent in the group and Jones addressed his biggest need — the center position — while bringing in some talent on the wing and adding flexibility to the roster with three players able to play multiple positions.
Nelson appears to be heir apparent at center to graduated All-Ivy center Dominick Martin, though junior Matt Kyle has experience as a starter and figures to receive consideration for the starting job in the middle, at least early on. No matter who starts, there will be pressure to rebound, because that was not a strong point of returning power forwards Sam Kaplan and Ross Morin last year. With those four post players being near locks to receiving the bulk of the playing time in the frontcourt, Davis may have a tough time cracking the rotation this season. He likely will battle it out with senior Jason Abromaitis, who appeared in 24 games last year, for the final spot in the frontcourt rotation.
Jones’s teams traditionally don’t rely heavily on the three-point shot offensively, but with Zampier joining Eric Flato (40.9 percent), Caleb Holmes (37.9 percent), and Travis Pinick (36.7 percent) as capable outside threats, that might be changing. One thing is clear: between Zampier, Davis, Caleb Holmes, and his twin brother, Nick, Yale has at its disposal four very flexible players who can play a number of positions. Additionally, Gibson’s rebounding abilities also give Jones another option on the wing who could also slide to the four spot in a smaller lineup.
Even without Rohnert, Yale’s Class of 2010 still has a pair of potential impact players in Nelson and Zampier. Both should to get an immediate chance to show what they’re capable of, as Nelson figures see extensive minutes right away and Zampier also should be in the mix. Davis’s skill set makes him a high-ceiling guy, and Gibson, who broke his high school’s mark for free throws made, can only help a Yale team that shot just 62.1 percent from the line in Ivy games last year.
