CAC Recruiting Recap: Christopher Newport University
As the recruiting season for many colleges has come to a close, we want to take a look back at the local division three schools and how they recruited Virginia. With the ODAC and CAC heavily represented in the state,…
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Continue ReadingAs the recruiting season for many colleges has come to a close, we want to take a look back at the local division three schools and how they recruited Virginia. With the ODAC and CAC heavily represented in the state, two of the conferences many consider among the best in division three, the state of VA is heavily recruited by a number of schools. Many of the kids who are playing division three in VA were recruited by multiple schools in these conferences, and all of them landed some kind of gem in the process. Today, we take a look at the Captains of CNU, who were one of the best teams in the nation, making it to the Final Four and losing a close one in the national semifinals. See how they reloaded with their up coming class below!
Record Last Season: 30-2 (Reached D3 Final Four)
Incoming VA Recruits: Luther Gibbs (Culpeper County), Nick Parks (Monacan), Savonte Chappel (Prince George), Cutch Ellis (Benedictine), Carion Eaton (Colonial Forge), Noah Singer (Kellam)
How do you follow up a conference championship, run to the NCAA Final Four and arguably the best season in school history? How about arguably the best class of any division three school in the state?
The CNU Captains were one of the best teams in the country last season before falling short to the University of St. Thomas 66-62 in the National Semifinals. CNU had a perfect 18-0 record in the CAC as they went on to sweep both the regular season and conference tournament championships. They built on that success on the recruiting trail too, where they landed six big time producers that each bring a unique skill set to help them win.
CNU reached all over the state to get their guys, showing their eye for talent and determination to lock in the entire state. In the backcourt, they landed three very underrated guards, two of which were state champions and another that earned All State honors.
One get that stands out is 6’1” point guard Luther Gibbs of Culpeper County. Gibbs had every bit of scholarship talent and was named Second Team All State in the VHSL 3A Classification. He’s a smooth and crafty point guard that has good feel on the offensive end and can score it in bunches from all three levels. He’s very long and an underrated athlete, and his scoring ability translates because of his complete scoring package on and off the basketball.
To compliment Gibbs, the Captains got two state champion guards in 5’8” Carion Eaton from Colonial Forge and 6’2” Nick Parks of Monacan. Eaton, who won back-to-back 6A state titles in 2014 and 2015, is one of the toughest guards in the state, particularly on the defensive end. He’s a heady guard that can handle it and lives in the paint where, despite his size, he’s a very good finisher. Parks, who was a key part in Monacan’s 4A State Title this year, is a knockdown shooter with good size and athleticism. He’ll be able to stretch the floor for Gibbs and Eaton, and he’s also a good defender and highly intelligent player.
If their backcourt seems tough, they matched it with a mix of size, skill and strength in the front court. One of their biggest recruits, literally, is 6’7” Cutch Ellis of Benedictine. Ellis was a three year starter for Benedictine, and when healthy he put up some big numbers. He has great size for the ODAC, and he his ability to step outside and play from 18 feet should make him a mismatch problem. He rebounds at a high rate, and despite being a below average athlete he has a good understanding of the game to make up for it.
The other two forwards they got are no slouches though. 6’5” Savonte Chappell out of Prince George was a two-time First Team All Conference 12 selection and 1,000 point scorer for the Royals. He’s got a wide base and strong frame to go along with good hands, good feet and a soft touch. 6’4” Noah Singer out of Kellam is another one to keep an eye on, because he has possibly the most room to grow of the group. An undersized face up four, Singer can shoot the deep ball, moves well enough to run the floor and can guard multiple positions on the floor.
Whether or not CNU is able to duplicate their success next year, they continue to take the right steps to ensure long term success. Expect the Captains to continue to make a splash on the recruiting trail throughout the state.