Cougars get another swingman

Reports out of Las Vegas say that Bishop Gorman combo guard Anson Winder has given BYU a verbal commitment to play for the Cougars next season. I knew BYU had an eye on the 6-foot-3 Winder, who plays for Grant Rice, the brother of BYU assistant Dave Rice. He really caught BYU’s interest after scoring 34 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the StarVision Sports Center Stage Tournament in Las Vegas in July. He also had offers from Idaho and Nevada, and was getting interest from Portland and UC Riverside.
Grant Rice told me Winder should have a really bright future at BYU and in the Mountain West Conference. “Anson is a versatile combo guard who can shoot the ball, but can also get to the rim. He excels in transition and on the defensive side of the ball. He is a great kid on and off the floor. Good student and good role model on campus,” Rice said.
Scout.com gave Winder a one-star rating. ESPN scored him at 75, and said “Winder possesses a nice frame with long arms and overall solid length for the 2-guard position. He is a Division I sleeper who needs some polish in terms of skill development. He plays with great effort at both ends and thrives in transition where he can attack the rim. His frame allows him to draw contact and finish as well. He is a streaky player who plays in spurts and needs to be more consistency to draw D-I interest. He can knock down the 3, but his shot is streaky and a tad flat in its trajectory. In addition, he is much more effective in a catch and shoot situation than pulling up in transition where he has a tendency to get off balance. Winder has the tools he just needs to mature as a player in both skill and savvy.”
He plans to officially sign on Nov. 11, the first day of the early signing period. More information on Winder is available on this link: AnsonWinder

ESPN also claims that BYU is interested in Sandy’s Neil Monson, a 6-foot-9 center who plays for the private school Waterford.
The Cougars decided not to offer James “Deuce” Johnson, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Campbell Hall in Hollywood, Calif. Johnson recently verbally committed to play at Louisiana Tech for former Utah coach Kerry Rupp.
The Cougars are also reportedly no longer pursuing another Bishop Gorman star, point guard Jonathan Loyd, brother of current Cougar guard Michael Loyd. Reports say the younger Loyd is considering offers from Cal Poly, Northern Arizona, Southern Methodist and UC Riverside.

For 2011, the Cougars are still interested in South Carolina shooting guard DeMarcus Harrison, who has offers from several schools on the Atlantic Coast. West High junior point guard Tyrell Corbin is also on BYU’s radar.
Perhaps the most ambitious target for BYU is in the class of 2012, where the Cougars would love to land Winder’s teammate, 6-foot-7 swingman Roscoe Allen. He has reportedly already been offered by the Cougars. But Allen, who is only a sophomore, also has offers from UNLV, Arizona, Arizona State, Santa Clara, Southern California and Washington State, so the Cougars have a long and competitive recruiting road ahead if they hope to land the prized recruit. Allen says he won’t decide on a college until after next season.