Alrighty, time for the second part of my little series looking back at Cyclone basketball recruiting, it's time for the Class of 2007. Obviously, this class includes one surefire stud in Craig Brackins, but it also included some guys we thought we'd be counting on by now, and some that we are leaning on.
G Charles Boozer
Boozer looked like a bit of a reach early on, and while he's not really contributing a whole lot, he's slipped into a bit of a role on the team. His athleticism and strength is something that's none too common on this team. He's also willing to shoot anywhere at any time. His role as a guy that plays sparingly is probably the best fit for him
G Marcus Brister
Brister didn't even make it half a season. Brought in to act as a safety net at point guard, he was gone in a flash, and he wasn't too good when he was here.
F Craig Brackins
Though he wasn't all-world his freshman year, Craig was very serviceable at forward. The 2008-09 season has served as his chance to break out into the national scene, and he's done nothing but impress. He now sits as a lottery pick in numerous mock drafts, and will be under consideration for All-American status. His pro decision could very easily decide both the fate of ISU basketball and his coach in the next couple of years.
G Diante Garrett
Diante was a personal favorite of mine, especially after seeing some video. Most people wanted him to start at point his freshman year, and the role became all his during this season. While Diante is pretty good at distributing the ball, his scoring still lags, which has led to numerous frustrating moments for Cyclone fans. Truth be told, he's a good enough ball handler that if he had been able to shoot at all, he'd have landed someplace better. Regardless, I hold out hope that his development will continue.
G Lucca Staiger
Ah, the legend of Lucca Staiger. Held out of competition as a freshman thanks to a totally bullshit ruling by the NCAA, his sophomore season at ISU was his first on the floor. And while he's shown glimpses of the shooting touch that we've been hearing about since he committed, the rest of his game lags far behind. One hopes that he was truly playing through injury this year, because otherwise, he leaves a lot to be desired as a ballhandler and a defender. He seems to be a good enough shooter, though, that he'll always see minutes.
F Clayton Vette
Vette committed to Indiana State out of high school, but after a coaching change for the Sycamores, he landed at Iowa State....for a while. Rumors of homesickness came to light as he failed to make it to a sophomore campaign. While he might have been the best player in the state as a high school senior, he was less than impressive in his time at Iowa State. Now at Winona State.
This class might be considered a winner thanks solely to Mr. Brackins. A true program changer that never had a strong supporting cast. Garrett is one of the best assist men in the conference, and Staiger is capable of 20 on any night. Of course, the last two haven't shown any true consistency, but when you can get three guys capable of starting in the Big 12 in one class, that's pretty quality.
The overall success of this class may rest on the continued development of Staiger and Garrett, however, as it's tough to see Brackins in a Cyclone uniform next year. Let's hope it happens.