It's never too early for University of Memphis head coach Josh Pastner to start looking ahead to the 2015 class.

Pastner got his first commitment on Oct. 7, 2013 when forward KJ Lawson announced that he was coming to the University of Memphis. Lawson is from Memphis, Tenn. and currently goes to Hamilton High School. Here are highlights of KJ Lawson in high school: Lawson also plays AAU basketball for Team Penny.

247sports.com has Lawson as a 4-star prospect and lists him at 6'6 and 185 pounds. He is the overall sixth best small forward in the country and second best overall player in the state of Tennessee in the Class of 2015.

Lawson has the ability to play power forward as well if Pastner decides he wants to play small ball. Lawson's game around the basket is phenomenal and he has great foot techniques. Also, Lawson may come off the bench his freshman season unless some of the current players enroll into the NBA draft early.

The University of Alabama was the only other school to send an offer to Lawson. Georgetown University, Mississippi State University, and the University of Missouri showed interest, but they never sent an offer to Lawson.

It was no surprise that Lawson was going to commit to the University of Memphis. The Crystal Ball predictor on 247sports.com predicted that it was a 100% chance of Lawson committing to Memphis. Pastner has been known by local and national media to have a great ability to recruit the best players out of high schools in Memphis. 

John Martin, recruiting report for the Commercial Appeal in Memphis said, "I had many conversations with he and his family. Both his parents were comfortable with him playing at Memphis. They loved Coach Pastner. I would've been shocked if he had gone elsewhere." 
 
Grant Milner, staff writer for Memphis recruiting on 247 sports.com sat down with Lawson's father after he had committed. Milner said, "His father was so supportive of the decision. He would be comfortable with Lawson going to a junior college. He's a great mentor to his kids and only wants the best for them." Here is the full story from Milner. 

Hope all of you enjoyed my posts on some of the future players that will be playing at the University of Memphis.

University of Memphis basketball head coach Josh Pastner has recruited at a high level since becoming head coach prior to the 2009-2010 season.
In 2010, the Memphis Tigers had the #2 best recruiting class in the country. In 2012, Memphis was ranked #23 nationally. A year ago, the Tigers finished with the #3 ranked recruiting class. Pastner knows how to get the best players in Memphis and get the best players around the country.

The 2014 recruiting class for the Memphis Tigers isn't ranked in the Top 25, but Pastner has received a big time committment that will get consistent playing time next season after the departure of starting point guard Joe Jackson.

Dominic MaGee is a 6'3 and 173 pound point guard from Harvey, Louisiana. He currently attends Helen Cox High School and also plays for the Lousiana Feature AAU team. According to 247sports.com, MaGee is the #15 ranked point guard nationally and the #66 ranked player overall. In Lousiana, he is the second best player in the state.

Getting a big recruit early can benefit that recruiting in the long run. MaGee committed to the University of Memphis on September 8, 2013 after his official visit to the University. His only other visit was to Oklahoma St. University. Also, Magee got offers from other powerhouse basketball programs around the country, including UCLA, Kansas, and Oklahoma State all wanted MaGee to play for their schools, but MaGee decided to come to Memphis.

MaGee had the opportunity to appear in the 2013 Reebok Challenge. This event is held for college coaches all across the country to scout the high school. Pastner was in attendance and got the opportunity to watch MaGee make a few spectacular plays on the court. Here are some of his highlights from the event.
 
Pastner filled a need with the Dominic MaGee. Here is the Memphis Commercial Appeal's story right after MaGee committed. He could very well turn out to be a very talented point guard in the years to come at the University of Memphis.

Beat writer for the Memphis basketball team Jason Smith said, "Fans were wondering what the point guard position would look like after this season. I think all of us got that answer after Dominic(Magee) committed."

Come back next week for another post on another recruit that will soon be playing for the University of Memphis Tigers.

The University of Memphis football team has had three head coaches in five years and that has really hurt the recruiting. 

But head coach Justin Fuente, in his second season with the Memphis Tigers, is starting to turn things around. Not only is he exciting the fan base, he is also exciting the recruits. Fuente only has 8 commitments in the 2014 recruiting class, but there is a specific player who has a lot of talent.

Roderick Proctor is a 3-star wide receiver who committed to the University of Memphis on Jul. 31, 2013. He currently goes to Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fla. This is the same school that Pookie Powell attends, who is a big time recruit for the Memphis Tigers basketball team. He is 5'11 and weighs 161 pounds. Proctor had a list of offers, but his top three schools were the University of Memphis, Iowa State University, and the University of Arizona. 

Here are highlights from Proctor's junior season: His 40-yard dash score was a 4.57 and his 20-yard shuttle score was a 4.59. He had a 33.4 vertical and his power throw was a 35.9. In 2012, he had 773 receiving yards for 11 touchdowns. He also had a kickoff return for a touchdown. His stats during the 2012 season were good, but his stats in the 2013 season will more than likely increase. He will bring depth to a Memphis wide receiver group that has struggled this season.

After watching some of Proctor's highlights, Memphis Tigers beat writer at the Commercial Appeal said, "Fuente needs someone that can consistently catch passes. I've watched a lot of Memphis footall and I've never so many dropped passes this season."

Proctor has already committed, but he is still being talked about from other media outlets. In an interview with 247sports.com, Proctor talked about his decision to play for Fuente and the University of Memphis. "It felt like I was home all over again," Proctor said. The Memphis Tigers and their fans are ready to welcome him when he gets on the field. Here is the entire story about Roderick Proctor from 247sports.com. 

Come back next week to find out about another addition to the University of Memphis Tigers.

Recruiting at a University is so important for the athletic program. The success of the athletic program depends on the type of talent that is recruited at the University. Also, recruiting can depend on the type of coach that is hired by the University.

When a coach goes on the road to recruit, it is their responsibility to sell the athletic program as best as they can. It is also important that the coach gets the best talent in state. Young athletes sometimes will want to be closer to home, so their family can support them when they start playing.

The Memphis Tigers have been competitive in their sports and that starts with the players they bring in. First, the recruits have an opportunity to see the Memphis recruit page if they are interested in playing at the U of M. Here is the Tigers recruiting on page on the school website.

The basketball program has historically been a national powerhouse in recruiting. This season, head coach Josh Pasnter brought in a top 3 nationally ranked recruiting class. Austin Nichols and Kuran Iverson were the big names in that class. Pastner has continued that the trend of great recruiting since he has been here.

Head coach Justin Fuente has improved the recruiting for the Memphis football team since his arrival in 2012. He has already had a couple of good commits in the class of 2014. His first recruiting class was ranked 72nd overall and had eleven 3-star players.

This blog will not only talk about the basketball recruiting, but the football and baseball recruiting too. Also, there will be news about recruiting in the women's athletic program as well.