Recruiting This Time Around

[jordoo]

I didn't follow recruiting during our first NCAA punishment but by all accounts and looking back its obvious that our recruiting took a major hit and we had to claw our way back up.

This time we managed to avoid any post season ban that would effect future recruits or returning players which is key IMO. That made it much easier to keep our 4 committed guys for next year and or verbal Moyer in 2016. (thanks guys btw) so we have large talented class of 4 to work with right away and a very good forward coming next class.

Lost ships will effect returning guys and future recruits but it looks an awful lot like the staff is about to pull a couple of Rabbits out of the hat with Bryant and Battle. The numbers will work themselves out. Its a great group of kids in Howard, Richardson, Lydon, Diange, Bryant, Battle, Moyer to have in these two classes to keep SU at a high level. Yes the staff still has to pull it off but its so reassuring to see what's going on. They have a plan and are going for it. SU is not going to step back its recruiting and IMO its going to be nothing like the first time around.

We will almost assuradly get at least one ship back per year which will give some needed wiggle room, possibly more than that.

 

[cuseguy]

We were hit with NCAA sanctions in 1992. Four years later we played for the national title.

 

[Cuse House]

Last time this happened I was one year old so I cannot speak for the past but I agree with everything you said. I think we will have some of our best recruiting classes yet and send JB off the right way. The staff is being aggressive and I like it!

 

[jordoo]

We were hit with NCAA sanctions in 1992. Four years later we played for the national title.

Yes but the recruiting took a huge hit. Look at some of those rosters.

 

[cusetown1]

We were hit with NCAA sanctions in 1992. Four years later we played for the national title.

kudos to you for making a negative a positive when you choose. I wish you were like this more often !

 

[cuseguy]

kudos to you for making a negative a positive when you choose. I wish you were like this more often !

I see it as it is, Cusetown. I'm really not such a bad guy. You'd be surprised.

But thank you for noticing my efforts.

 

[AZOrange]

John Wallace saved us. Simple as that.

 

[jekelish]

John Wallace saved us. Simple as that.

It helped that we had Lawrence Moten here at the time, too, of course. And Adrian Autry.

 

[AZOrange]

It helped that we had Lawrence Moten here at the time, too, of course. And Adrian Autry.

those guys were here though. Wallace stuck it out.

 

[jordoo]

those guys were here though. Wallace stuck it out.

Yep and that roster around him in 96 when we made it to the NC game is all you need to see the hit we took in recruiting. The following class was a big step up and making that run was huge for recruiting going forward IMO.

 

[RF2044]

Jordoo, you are correct. The investigation hung over the program for a year and a half [seems quick compared to our most recent investigation]. Prior to the investigation, we were recruiting like gangbusters. But the spectre of the investigation hung over our program for those two years, and cost us several recruits that we probably might have landed--most notably, Donyell Marshall.

Two factors helped us bridge the gap. First, Lawrence Moten ended up being a LOT better of a recruit than anyone could have predicted; he wasn't even ranked in the top 100 coming out of Archbishop Carroll. And second, John Wallace wanted to play closer to home because he felt like the pseudo-father figure for his two younger brothers, so he picked us over Kansas.

We also had some talent on those next couple of teams after the NCAA penalties [Autry, Luke Jackson, Dave Johnson, etc.] that helped us weather the storm short-term. But it DEFINITELY had an impact on recruiting. Even our trip to the 1996 championship game didn't change that [although we followed that up with the great recruiting class of Jason Hart, Ryan Blackwell, Etan Thomas, and Rock Lloyd / LaSean Howard].

The ship didn't right again until 2001 or so, when Troy Weaver joined the staff.

 

[albanycuse]

I see it as it is, Cusetown. I'm really not such a bad guy. You'd be surprised. But thank you for noticing my efforts.

You come off as a sometimes but dont worry ive reread my own posts sometimes and thought what a i look like lol.

 

[jordoo]

You come off as a sometimes but dont worry ive reread my own posts sometimes and thought what a i look like lol.

Awesome! Nice honesty and something all of us need to admit to from time to time. Sometimes I realize that not only did I come across like a but I was actually being one as well. Oops.

 

[albanycuse]

Awesome! Nice honesty and something all of us need to admit to from time to time. Sometimes I realize that not only did I come across like a but I was actually being one as well. Oops.

Honesty is the only thing i know. Even if it isnt in my favor. I despise liars and people whos word is no good.

 

['CuseHoops]

Jordoo, you are correct. The investigation hung over the program for a year and a half [seems quick compared to our most recent investigation]. Prior to the investigation, we were recruiting like gangbusters. But the spectre of the investigation hung over our program for those two years, and cost us several recruits that we probably might have landed--most notably, Donyell Marshall.

Two factors helped us bridge the gap. First, Lawrence Moten ended up being a LOT better of a recruit than anyone could have predicted; he wasn't even ranked in the top 100 coming out of Archbishop Carroll. And second, John Wallace wanted to play closer to home because he felt like the pseudo-father figure for his two younger brothers, so he picked us over Kansas.

We also had some talent on those next couple of teams after the NCAA penalties [Autry, Luke Jackson, Dave Johnson, etc.] that helped us weather the storm short-term. But it DEFINITELY had an impact on recruiting. Even our trip to the 1996 championship game didn't change that [although we followed that up with the great recruiting class of Jason Hart, Ryan Blackwell, Etan Thomas, and Rock Lloyd / LaSean Howard].

The ship didn't right again until 2001 or so, when Troy Weaver joined the staff.

That is surprising to hear about Wallace. I always figured he picked the `Cuse because he was in our backyard but honestly was way young at the time to even remember all that.

 

[dasher]

John Wallace saved us. Simple as that.

and Moten

 

[cusetown1]

I remember the day Wallace committed , had to read it in the newspaper. so the day after Lol.

 

[General20]

I didn't follow recruiting during our first NCAA punishment but by all accounts and looking back its obvious that our recruiting took a major hit and we had to claw our way back up.

This time we managed to avoid any post season ban that would effect future recruits or returning players which is key IMO. That made it much easier to keep our 4 committed guys for next year and or verbal Moyer in 2016. (thanks guys btw) so we have large talented class of 4 to work with right away and a very good forward coming next class.

Lost ships will effect returning guys and future recruits but it looks an awful lot like the staff is about to pull a couple of Rabbits out of the hat with Bryant and Battle. The numbers will work themselves out. Its a great group of kids in Howard, Richardson, Lydon, Diange, Bryant, Battle, Moyer to have in these two classes to keep SU at a high level. Yes the staff still has to pull it off but its so reassuring to see what's going on. They have a plan and are going for it. SU is not going to step back its recruiting and IMO its going to be nothing like the first time around.

We will almost assuradly get at least one ship back per year which will give some needed wiggle room, possibly more than that.

The two guys I remember us missing out on that everybody thought we were going to get were Jalen Rose (a 6'6 point guard) and Donyell Marshall (a skilled 6'10 big). Imagine how good those 90's SU teams would have been with those two guys!

How history repeats itself.

We are now trying to land Battle (a 6'5 point guard) and Bryant (a skilled 6'10 big) amidst NCAA sanctions. Hopefully this time we won't be wondering what might have been.

 

[rrlbees]

The two guys I remember us missing out on that everybody thought we were going to get were Jalen Rose (a 6'6 point guard) and Donyell Marshall (a skilled 6'10 big). Imagine how good those 90's SU teams would have been with those two guys! How history repeats itself. We are now trying to land Battle (a 6'5 point guard) and Bryant (a skilled 6'10 big) amidst NCAA sanctions. Hopefully this time we won't be wondering what might have been.

I'm not sure how close we really were to actually getting Rose but Marshall was a definite and the other guy we probably nab was Lou Roe who ended up at UMass.

 

[jordoo]

The two guys I remember us missing out on that everybody thought we were going to get were Jalen Rose (a 6'6 point guard) and Donyell Marshall (a skilled 6'10 big). Imagine how good those 90's SU teams would have been with those two guys!

How history repeats itself.

We are now trying to land Battle (a 6'5 point guard) and Bryant (a skilled 6'10 big) amidst NCAA sanctions. Hopefully this time we won't be wondering what might have been.

I'd say 100% we get 1 of 2 and 75% we get 2 of 2

 

[General20]

I'm not sure how close we really were to actually getting Rose but Marshall was a definite and the other guy we probably nab was Lou Roe who ended up at UMass.

I remember an interview where Jalen Rose said he wanted to come to Syracuse but then changed his mind and chose Michigan because of the trouble SU was in with the NCAA, but then again those Michigan kids were getting duffel bags full of money, so maybe he would have went there anyway.

There really is no way to know for sure, but that's the point. We will always wonder if Rose and Marshal would have come here, and wonder just how good those teams would have been. We don't know for sure and we have the sanctions to blame.

If either Battle or Bryant choose not to come here (for any reason) I'll be asking those same questions for another twenty years, and I definitely don't want to be doing that.

 

[dasher]

I remember an interview where Jalen Rose said he wanted to come to Syracuse but then changed his mind and chose Michigan because of the trouble SU was in with the NCAA, but then again those Michigan kids were getting duffel bags full of money, so maybe he would have went there anyway.

There really is no way to know for sure, but that's the point. We will always wonder if Rose and Marshal would have come here, and wonder just how good those teams would have been. We don't know for sure and we have the sanctions to blame.

If either Battle or Bryant choose not to come here (for any reason) I'll be asking those same questions for another twenty years, and I definitely don't want to be doing that.

Even Jb said we weren't going to get Rose because that became a Michigan deal.