Men's basketball lands seventh and final recruit; could signal departure
The Central Michigan men’s basketball program added its seventh and final 2010 recruit on Wednesday, raising questions about who won’t be on the bench when the season begins in November.
CMU originally was expecting to sign six scholarship players – the result of four departing seniors, freshman Tyler Brown’s departure early last season and a leftover spot from Jacolby Hardiman’s dismissal after the 2008-09 season.
“Quite obviously, it doesn’t take a scientist to figure out that the numbers don’t add up,” said CMU coach Ernie Zeigler. “I think in kindness (to) the guys on the current roster, I will refrain from saying who or what will be happening until we finish this semester.”
Adding size
Andre Coimbra, a 6-foot-9-inch, 222-pound Brazilian forward who spent two seasons at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, signed to play with the Chippewas over Missouri-Kansas City.
A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Coimbra averaged 6.5 points, a team-high 9.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks for NEO last season.
“He brings an athleticism and skill to our frontcourt depth,” Zeigler said. “He has the ability to score and he’s a very good passer as well.
“I think for us, he could a bigger version of (former center) Marcus Van and (center) Will McClure, but with a better ability to shoot the ball from the outside.”
NEO coach Dustin Grover said Coimbra was a defensive force who still can develop his offensive game.
“Although he’s got a bunch of offensive skill, I don’t think he ever really got too comfortable offensively with us,” Grover said. “But defensively, he dominated some games by just being able to block shots and rebound.”
Grover said he heard about Coimbra from a friend in Brazil. Within weeks, Coimbra had signed with NEO.
“The only real contact he and I ever had before he got here was through e-mail,” Grover said. “His English skills were limited when he first got to the United States. He’s gotten a lot better since he got here. It’s been kind of an interesting ride.”
Coimbra and point guard Paris Paramore, who signed Monday out of Triton College (Ill.), will be the only two scholarship juniors for CMU next season.
Big class
Zeigler and assistant coach Darren Kohne, who is CMU’s recruiting coordinator, said this class is the largest they can remember.
ESPN and Scout.com also have ranked it No. 1 in the Mid-American Conference.
“This is the largest recruiting class I think I’ve been associated with,” Kohne said. “If this produces a couple of all-conference players and conference player of the years, then I think the hype is justified. But right now it’s just prediction and hype and potential.”
Said Zeigler: “When I look at this group in totality, they all come from winning situations and definitely fit our system and our philosophy of ‘Think Tough, Be Tough.’ “
Back-to-back MAC West Division titles and a new Events Center, where CMU hosts its first game Dec. 1 against Temple, has sparked new interest in a program that has only four winning seasons in the past 31 years.
“In a program that’s at an all-time low, somebody’s got to step in and change things,” said former CMU guard Jordan Bitzer. “That’s exactly what Coach Zeigler did the first day he came here.”
