CROSS TALKS ABOUT 2008 RECRUITING CLASS, LOOKS AHEAD TO 2009

June 8, 2008 – Spring recruiting is likely over for head coach Gene Cross, and after being on the road for a short period of time, he got some positive feedback as the new UT coach. “High school coaches, AAU coaches and players really received us in a positive way,” he said.

Even though he was working without all of his assistants in place, Cross was still able to sign three promising players. Yet, he admits that it was a lot to juggle with his obligations on campus and the need to recruit or re-recruit players that could help the Rockets.

“I had been in similar situations at DePaul and Virginia when I came in with a new head coach. I’ve had experience hitting the ground running at a late date and needing to find players,” he said.

His number one priority was making certain that Toledo was solid at the point guard position. He is a big proponent of guard play driving a team, and he wanted players that could run a ball club, handle the basketball and make good decisions on the floor. Cross was also looking to take pressure off of Tyrone Kent, and put him a position where he could be the most effective. “He’s (Kent) a tremendous basketball player, but he’s not a point guard,” said Cross.

Although incoming freshman Larry Bastfield will come to Toledo with high expectations, Cross also needed a point guard that was battle tested. He got that player in Ed Tucker, who played at a high level in the junior college ranks. Both players will compete for the starting job.

Also signed was 6-3 shooting guard Steven Albrecht. Cross felt the need for another outside shooter who also had a mid-range shot. Albrecht has a nose for the basket, which fits in to a new style where players may have more freedom on offense. “I don’t want to handcuff our players, but with freedom comes responsibility,” Cross said. “I think that we’ll see players in a better position to score just because they're going to be playing the right positions.”

6-10 forward/center Ian Salter from California was another important addition to the class as he helps shore up a young group of interior players. “Ian is high energy,” Cross said. “He runs the floor like a gazelle. He’s athletic and I liked his skill set. He can put the ball on the floor-not you’re average 6-10 guy. He can bang inside as well.”  Salter is a player who is expected to attack the glass on both ends of the floor and will fit well with a style of play that emphasizes getting up and down the floor and playing tough.

Cross recently announced that two scholarship players would not be on the roster for the upcoming season. Shooting guard Corey Bingham and point guard Paul Becklens were dismissed from the team because “they were not meeting expectations”. Bingham saw considerable playing time last season, and averaged 3.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Becklens was on scholarship, but the NCAA ruled that he couldn’t practice or play as a freshman. Cross said,” I’m not into them (UT players) just being basketball players, I want them to be productive people.”

Another player who had the same NCAA restrictions as Becklens, was 6-5 forward Terrance Tubbs. All indications are that he performed well in the classroom. Although Cross isn’t allowed to see any of the returning players or incoming recruits play until school starts, he is intrigued by Tubbs’ body type and demeanor. He seems like a tough guy who can give UT a presence in the paint. In the short period of time that he was allowed to practice before last season, Tubbs showed good athletic ability and that he had some nice interior skills.

Even though it’s possible that Cross could still sign a player for the upcoming season, his main emphasis now is on the class of 2009. He started working on that group the day he first walked on campus. The next big recruiting period is in July when the coaching staff will fan out all over the nation to seek talent at the major summer tournaments.

“We can really sink our teeth into this next class because we have a full staff and can evaluate our needs better,” he said. “We lose players like Amos, Johnson and Kent who are pretty good seniors. We have to get the best wing/scoring guards possible whether they are high school or junior college players. We’ve already identified some players that we’re going to key on during the next recruiting period.”

Cross said that his mindset hasn’t changed now that he’s recruiting for Toledo instead of Notre Dame, Virginia or DePaul. “I’m a much better coach if I have good or great players. My goal is to bring in at least one player in each class who has the potential to be first team all-league. That way you’re establishing a pattern of bringing in quality players. We want players that fit our program, and if he’s a top 25 player, I don’t have any problem recruiting him. That doesn’t excluded players that aren’t so highly ranked, because they may be a better fit.”

Although Gene Cross has only been UT's coach a short period of time, it's easy to see that he has a sense of pride about his job as the Rockets' head man. He talks about the tradition of the program and how he wants to bring in recruits and show them Toledo's great fan base. Cross mentions how well he has been treated in Toledo, and how that it makes him work even harder to put a team on the floor that fans will be proud of.