Francis new podcast

[SoBeCuse]

Great pod! This is one in particular to listen to. Gives an ACCURATE view of the state of things in terms of recruiting, the excuses out there, misconceptions of the sanctions, etc. Well done.

 

[SoBeCuse]

"Like a male singing group" LOL

Great stuff.

Tyson VS Peter McNeeley, lol!

 

[two3zone]

Otto's World: Otto's World Podcast Episode 20
New pod. Lots of hot fiyah. I'm sure there will be some one liners that you guys will get a kick out of lol.
View attachment 87541

The one day I head out for lunch and can't listen to it right away...


Well, can't wait to get back to work and listen.

 

[Trueblue25]

We had a shot at Brunson? I'm gonna faint.

 

[Orangello]

Mucho gracias. Good stuff and refreshing to hear after all of the menudo being made on this board.

 

[Toga]

I need a smoke.

 

[Trueblue25]

I need a smoke.

This podcast reminds me of a girl just breaking down every reason why she won't date you, and they all make sense, and leaving you without the ability to just say "girls suck" at the end.

So many truth bombs.

 

[RF2044]

Great pod! This is one in particular to listen to. Gives an ACCURATE view of the state of things in terms of recruiting, the excuses out there, misconceptions of the sanctions, etc. Well done.

Agree 100%.

 

[RF2044]

We had a shot at Brunson? I'm gonna faint.

Funny story about that -- I played pop warner football / youth hoops with his dad, Rick Brunson, for several years. Knew him really well. Big kid, nothing special in either sport back then. Moved away in the junior high timeframe, and then went on to become a top ~100 caliber hoops recruit. I couldn't believe it when he was in college, performing at a high level at Temple!

Guy goes undrafted but makes the NBA, proceeds to have a lengthy journeyman career on various teams. Doesn't gripe about PT, shots, etc. and perfect practice guy -- the type of player that every NBA coach loves having on their team as the 11th man.

Despite going to HS in Massachusetts and college in Philly, he's still an SU fan and feels a connection to CNY, which is why he attempted to hand deliver his kid to JB.

We know how the rest turned out.

Kid was a figural part of Villanova's backcourt rotation on last year's national championship team, and a sophomore starter this year. Kid can flat out ball.

But he's not a 6-4 guard who is a great fit at the top of the zone on paper, like Frank Howard. :bang:

 

[Trueblue25]

Funny story about that -- I played pop warner football / youth hoops with his dad, Rick Brunson, for several years. Knew him really well. Big kid, nothing special in either sport back then. Moved away in the junior high timeframe, and then went on to become a top ~100 caliber hoops recruit. I couldn't believe it when he was in college, performing at a high level at Temple!

Guy goes undrafted but makes the NBA, proceeds to have a lengthy journeyman career on various teams. Doesn't gripe about PT, shots, etc. and perfect practice guy -- the type of player that every NBA coach loves having on their team as the 11th man.

Despite going to HS in Massachusetts and college in Philly, he's still an SU fan and feels a connection to CNY, which is why he attempted to hand deliver his kid to JB.

We know how the rest turned out.

Kid was a figural part of Villanova's backcourt rotation on last year's national championship team, and a sophomore starter this year. Kid can flat out ball.

But he's not a 6-4 guard who is a great fit at the top of the zone on paper, like Frank Howard. :bang:

 

[SoBeCuse]

This podcast reminds me of a girl just breaking down every reason why she won't date you, and they all make sense, and leaving you without the ability to just say "girls suck" at the end.

So many truth bombs.

Totally.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Funny story about that -- I played pop warner football / youth hoops with his dad, Rick Brunson, for several years. Knew him really well. Big kid, nothing special in either sport back then. Moved away in the junior high timeframe, and then went on to become a top ~100 caliber hoops recruit. I couldn't believe it when he was in college, performing at a high level at Temple!

Guy goes undrafted but makes the NBA, proceeds to have a lengthy journeyman career on various teams. Doesn't gripe about PT, shots, etc. and perfect practice guy -- the type of player that every NBA coach loves having on their team as the 11th man.

Despite going to HS in Massachusetts and college in Philly, he's still an SU fan and feels a connection to CNY, which is why he attempted to hand deliver his kid to JB.

We know how the rest turned out.

Kid was a figural part of Villanova's backcourt rotation on last year's national championship team, and a sophomore starter this year. Kid can flat out ball.

But he's not a 6-4 guard who is a great fit at the top of the zone on paper, like Frank Howard. :bang:

That is crazy. Attempted to hand deliver him??! So what's the deal? Is he just blindly trusting Autry and Hopkins with evaluating kids? Not watching any of their tape at all? Refused to give Brunson the time of day? What does this say about Autry and Hopkins identifying guard talent lately?

 

[SoBeCuse]

Funny story about that -- I played pop warner football / youth hoops with his dad, Rick Brunson, for several years. Knew him really well. Big kid, nothing special in either sport back then. Moved away in the junior high timeframe, and then went on to become a top ~100 caliber hoops recruit. I couldn't believe it when he was in college, performing at a high level at Temple!

Guy goes undrafted but makes the NBA, proceeds to have a lengthy journeyman career on various teams. Doesn't gripe about PT, shots, etc. and perfect practice guy -- the type of player that every NBA coach loves having on their team as the 11th man.

Despite going to HS in Massachusetts and college in Philly, he's still an SU fan and feels a connection to CNY, which is why he attempted to hand deliver his kid to JB.

We know how the rest turned out.

Kid was a figural part of Villanova's backcourt rotation on last year's national championship team, and a sophomore starter this year. Kid can flat out ball.

But he's not a 6-4 guard who is a great fit at the top of the zone on paper, like Frank Howard. :bang:

Now I'm going to faint.

 

[RF2044]

That is crazy. Attempted to hand deliver him??! So what's the deal? Is he just blindly trusting Autry and Hopkins with evaluating kids? Not watching any of their tape at all? Refused to give Brunson the time of day? What does this say about Autry and Hopkins identifying guard talent lately?

I don't think that the staff refused to give Bruson the time of day -- they hosted the player and his father on a visit to the Carmelo K. Anthony center. The interest just wasn't reciprocal, despite Jaylen being such a highly rated recruit. Which is crazy, because he had a ton of other offers. This wasn't just some marginal talent that the dad was trying to talk up with the coaches in hopes of garnering a scholarship--this was a very highly rated prospect with elite skills / impressive offer list.

In fairness, he's small [5-10, probably 170 pounds]. Not a guy who jumps out as a fit for our system. BUT he started a lot on a national championship team. And we know the predicament we're in at PG.

What makes me mad has absolutely ZERO to do with any old connections I have to the dad, but rather that PG is the one position where we shouldn't sacrifice skill for size--and yet we repeatedly do. Was Jaylen a McD's all American? Might have been--not sure without looking--but you don't turn your nose up at players of that caliber. Especially when PG is a position of relative weakness on the squad [which it was last season, forcing G to play there].

And this isn't the first time this has happened. Monte Morris drove up with his mom on their own dime to participate in the elite camp, expecting to get an offer. Despite playing well, the staff turned up their nose in favor of Ennis [despite the fact that we had a TON of scholarships to use that year, and that Morris said that he'd come here even if Ennis did as well] and he ended up at Iowa State, where he's been an all American caliber player for three years. Think we could have used him the last three years?

The following year, Jaquan Newton from Neumann-Gorretti [sound familar?] wanted to come here, but we were all-in on Kaleb Joseph and wouldn't let him commit. Joseph flamed out here, but Newton is a starter at Miami. Another swing and miss. Not suggesting that he is a world beater, but he's worlds better than Joseph was.

Brunson is just another example of a lengthy trend of strange recruiting decisions on guards made by the staff in recent years.

 

[SoBeCuse]

I don't think that the staff refused to give Bruson the time of day -- they hosted the player and his father on a visit to the Carmelo K. Anthony center. The interest just wasn't reciprocal, despite Jaylen being such a highly rated recruit. Which is crazy, because he had a ton of other offers. This wasn't just some marginal talent that the dad was trying to talk up with the coaches in hopes of garnering a scholarship--this was a very highly rated prospect with elite skills / impressive offer list.

In fairness, he's small [5-10, probably 170 pounds]. Not a guy who jumps out as a fit for our system. BUT he started a lot on a national championship team. And we know the predicament we're in at PG.

What makes me mad has absolutely ZERO to do with any old connections I have to the dad, but rather that PG is the one position where we shouldn't sacrifice skill for size. Was Jaylen a McD's all American? Might have been--not sure without looking--but you don't turn your nose up at players of that caliber. Especially when PG is a position of relative weakness on the squad [which it was last season, forcing G to play there].

Thanks for sharing. The irony is that we have a probably smaller guy playing PG here now. I had high hopes for him also and am baffled by the inconsistencies.

 

[RF2044]

Thanks for sharing. The irony is that we have a probably smaller guy playing PG here now. I had high hopes for him also and am baffled by the inconsistencies.

Look, I know that people will always look reverentially to MCW playing the top of the zone, and crave that size guard. Ditto Gbinije last season. But in truth, we play small guards a lot at point. GMac. Flynn. Scoop. Some of those guys were under six-feet.

We were all-in on recruiting Quade Green, another guy who might not have been six feet tall.

So while I get the archetype, there really aren't that many of those players available who have the requisite skill to do what MCW and Gbinije were able to do.

Which is why I don't get the hesitation to go with some smaller guards, when we have a long history of doing so prior to MCW.

Bottom line: we should go after the best lead guards we can, period. Regardless of height.

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

Funny story about that -- I played pop warner football / youth hoops with his dad, Rick Brunson, for several years.

I played hoop with Ricky at Shonnard St boys club all the time. Think his dad coached one of the youth teams. Played football with Laz Sims at Westvale and against him when he was at St. Anthony's. Used to play against Derrick Jackson and his brother at Hamilton St boys club.

 

[RF2044]

I played hoop with Ricky at Shonnard St boys club all the time. Think his dad coached one of the youth teams. Played football with Laz Sims at Westvale and against him when he was at St. Anthony's. Used to play against Derrick Jackson and his brother at Hamilton St boys club.

I was teammates one year with Derrick and Stoney @ Corcoran. Both terrific players / dudes. Funny thing was that "Derrick's brother" who was older, was a stud inside player who seemed like he would be a much better player until Derrick turned it up and landed a scholie from BC. Funny to me to hear them described as "Derrick Jackson and his brother" because I think of them the opposite way. Ha.

Played against Laz, Caldwell, Dorsey, Blunt, Jason Buchanan [to say nothing of the guys from some of the smaller schools, like Kowadla] in youth leagues, at Thornden, Sunnycrest, Onondaga Park, etc. and later at the HS level. There was a lot of high major hoops talent in CNY back then.

Did you play at one of the HS's? Sounds like we came up in the same timeframe.

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

I was teammates one year with Derrick and Stoney @ Corcoran. Both terrific players / dudes. Funny thing was that "Derrick's brother" who was older, was a stud inside player who seemed like he would be a much better player until Derrick turned it up and landed a scholie from BC.

Played against Laz, Caldwell, Dorsey, Blunt, Jason Buchanan in youth leagues, at Thornden, Sunnycrest, Onondaga Park, etc. and later at the HS level.

Did you play at one of the HS's? Sounds like we came up in the same timeframe.

I played with Levens, Buchanan, Caldwell in scrimmages at Nottingham and with Driscoll, Rausch and Walker at Ludden.

I never played against Craig Kowadla or Bernard Blunt but I'd see them in open gyms at ham and ludden. Kowadla was super quick. Blunt had a brother or cousin that I knew at Nottingham. Corey Blount maybe.

 

[RF2044]

I played with Levens, Buchanan, Caldwell in scrimmages at Nottingham and with Driscoll, Rausch and Walker at Ludden.

Gallagher was a helluva player.

Turning my lip up a bit at Nottingham--our main rival program. Pound for pound, Craig Caldwell was the toughest guy of any of those players listed above I played against. Not saying that he was the BEST player in CNY, but man, was he a great lead guard.

Dorsey was on a completely different level athletically--as evidenced by him going to ND and having a superlative NFL career. What an athlete.

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

Gallagher was a helluva player.

Turning my lip up a bit at Nottingham--our main rival program. Pound for pound, Craig Caldwell was the toughest guy of any of those players listed above I played against. Not saying that he was the BEST player in CNY, but man, was he a great lead guard.

Dorsey was on a completely different level athletically--as evidenced by him going to ND and having a superlative NFL career. What an athlete.

Agree Gal was something else. He and pat are good guys. Yeah Caldwell was really good. I had to race Dorsey in gym class once and it was pretty embarrassing. He was cool about it. Told me to do my best. He comes on the radio a lot here in Atlanta. Did well at Georgia Tech.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Gallagher was a helluva player.

Turning my lip up a bit at Nottingham--our main rival program. Pound for pound, Craig Caldwell was the toughest guy of any of those players listed above I played against. Not saying that he was the BEST player in CNY, but man, was he a great lead guard.

Dorsey was on a completely different level athletically--as evidenced by him going to ND and having a superlative NFL career. What an athlete.

trip down memory lane, Team that had Buchanan, Dorsey, and Caldwell was loaded. I remember watching that team was a couple years older than I was. CBA had a kid named John Hass who could play, went to Lemoyne for baseball or basketball can't remember, he was a senior when I was a frosh.

 

[pearl31]

I don't think that the staff refused to give Bruson the time of day -- they hosted the player and his father on a visit to the Carmelo K. Anthony center. The interest just wasn't reciprocal, despite Jaylen being such a highly rated recruit. Which is crazy, because he had a ton of other offers. This wasn't just some marginal talent that the dad was trying to talk up with the coaches in hopes of garnering a scholarship--this was a very highly rated prospect with elite skills / impressive offer list.

In fairness, he's small [5-10, probably 170 pounds]. Not a guy who jumps out as a fit for our system. BUT he started a lot on a national championship team. And we know the predicament we're in at PG.

What makes me mad has absolutely ZERO to do with any old connections I have to the dad, but rather that PG is the one position where we shouldn't sacrifice skill for size--and yet we repeatedly do. Was Jaylen a McD's all American? Might have been--not sure without looking--but you don't turn your nose up at players of that caliber. Especially when PG is a position of relative weakness on the squad [which it was last season, forcing G to play there].

And this isn't the first time this has happened. Monte Morris drove up with his mom on their own dime to participate in the elite camp, expecting to get an offer. Despite playing well, the staff turned up their nose in favor of Ennis [despite the fact that we had a TON of scholarships to use that year, and that Morris said that he'd come here even if Ennis did as well] and he ended up at Iowa State, where he's been an all American caliber player for three years. Think we could have used him the last three years?

The following year, Jaquan Newton from Neumann-Gorretti [sound familar?] wanted to come here, but we were all-in on Kaleb Joseph and wouldn't let him commit. Joseph flamed out here, but Newton is a starter at Miami. Another swing and miss. Not suggesting that he is a world beater, but he's worlds better than Joseph was.

Brunson is just another example of a lengthy trend of strange recruiting decisions on guards made by the staff in recent years.

so which classes (years) were Brunsen and Morris in?

 

[billsin01]

Look, I know that people will always look reverentially to MCW playing the top of the zone, and crave that size guard. Ditto Gbinije last season. But in truth, we play small guards a lot at point. GMac. Flynn. Scoop. Some of those guys were under six-feet.

We were all-in on recruiting Quade Green, another guy who might not have been six feet tall.

So while I get the archetype, there really aren't that many of those players available who have the requisite skill to do what MCW and Gbinije were able to do.

Which is why I don't get the hesitation to go with some smaller guards, when we have a long history of doing so prior to MCW.

Bottom line: we should go after the best lead guards we can, period. Regardless of height.

Yeah, I think the unspoken issue in some ways as well is that getting a player like MCW is extremely hard, not only in terms of recruiting a highly regarded kid vs. other big time programs, but in the fact that there simply aren't many MCW-type kids out there to begin with. So you have to have some flexibility in what you're looking for -- and I think, as you point out, we've been flexible on this in the past. But we clearly placed a priority on getting as long as possible a few years ago. Is it a great philosophy? Hard to say -- we certainly benefited for quite a while but we've been struggling lately.

 

[billsin01]

This podcast reminds me of a girl just breaking down every reason why she won't date you, and they all make sense, and leaving you without the ability to just say "girls suck" at the end.

So many truth bombs.

Excellent description. That's the same way I felt.