(It looks like Gandalf and I were posting at the same time, except I write slower!)
I've gotta admit, I'm pretty bummed about this whole Nick Pryor situation about which Chuck previously reported. Here are some more links:
Milewski: Pryor out, Paape in among UW recruits
Milewski: More from Pryor
Baggot: Badgers add one, lose one
Obviously Pryor is not telling everyone the same story about his reasons for de-committing (and he's not even talking to Baggot), but so be it. Maybe it was academics (hey, would you want to admit to everyone that you couldn't get into school?) or maybe it was something else, but regardless Pryor is gone.
I was looking forward to his joining the Badgers. Seemed liked a nice kid and a good enough hockey player who would've been a nice addition to the Badgers. Sure, he wasn't a top-end guy like Goloubef, Smith, Gardiner, etc, but I figure he would've been a solid guy that we could've counted on for 4 years.
I'm sure Eaves has something in the works, but next year on D is looking a bit scary. And not in a good way. You gotta figure that McBain won't stay his senior year, and you gotta have doubts about Goloubef, Smith, and McDonagh sticking around for their junior years. I'm waiting to hear who Eaves will now bring in on D in 2009, but I'm afraid I won't be waiting patiently as the D is looking pretty thin for that year.
On the other hand, the offense certainly isn't looking thin. The Badgers recently picked up a commitment from Appleton winger Matt Paape for 2010 or 2011. All the idiots will be screaming over-recruiting, but the huge class of Geoffrion/Davies/Mitchell/Bendickson/Grotting/Bohmbach will be gone after the 2009-10 season, and you've gotta allow for a couple of early departures. Still not a lot of room for Strang and Paape to come in 2010 season, but they committed for either 2010 or 2011, so I'm ok with that.