Class of 2017 SG Brandon Randolph (PA) to Arizona

[cuseguy]

Ok, who are we landing? Diallo? Lonnie? Seem like long shots based on everything that's out there. At some point you read the tea leaves - 2017 is looking like Quade and team Plan B.

Suspect we'll go after a grad transfer in the spring to play the 2 guard. It would be nice if Battle sticks around for 2 years, but seriously doubt it.

Things may turn in our favor soon, but what concerns me is why are we having trouble in this recruiting cycle? Coming off a Final 4 year with playing time to offer next year, we should be building a Top 10 class.

Is there a deeper issue? JB's imminent retirement? Something else?

We'll see. Coming weeks will tell us more.

 

[AlaskaSU]

Ok, who are we landing? Diallo? Lonnie? Seem like long shots based on everything that's out there. At some point you read the tea leaves - 2017 is looking like Quade and team Plan B.

This is an arms race. AZ has climate. We need a palatial dorm to go with the Melo Center. Cannot stand still in this competitive game.

 

[cuseguy]

This is an arms race. AZ has climate. We need a palatial dorm to go with the Melo Center. Cannot stand still in this competitive game.

And a modernized Dome.

 

[rrlbees]

Suspect we'll go after a grad transfer in the spring to play the 2 guard. It would be nice if Battle sticks around for 2 years, but seriously doubt it. Things may turn in our favor soon, but what concerns me is why are we having trouble in this recruiting cycle? Coming off a Final 4 year with playing time to offer next year, we should be building a Top 10 class. Is there a deeper issue? JB's imminent retirement? Something else? We'll see. Coming weeks will tell us more.

Could be that we aren't, or it's difficult to really do, able to assure kids that battle and Lyndon will leave.

 

[syrcuse]

Suspect we'll go after a grad transfer in the spring to play the 2 guard. It would be nice if Battle sticks around for 2 years, but seriously doubt it.

Things may turn in our favor soon, but what concerns me is why are we having trouble in this recruiting cycle? Coming off a Final 4 year with playing time to offer next year, we should be building a Top 10 class.

Is there a deeper issue? JB's imminent retirement? Something else?

We'll see. Coming weeks will tell us more.

missed time with summer recruiting.....IMO, Olympics took away valuable in person face time.

 

[cuseguy]

Could be that we aren't, or it's difficult to really do, able to assure kids that battle and Lyndon will leave.

Might be something to that.

I also tend to think we got involved with a number of prospects who enjoy attention and are involved with elite schools that recruit well.

That's why we may go deep into the grad transfer pool again. But we may need that experience with a young team next year.

 

[doc05]

I can't believe he isn't going to Wake. Hasn't this kid ever heard of Danny and the Miracles?

More like Danny and the Miracles picked another more highly rated band member (2G) over Randolph -- Mr. Chaundee Brown.

 

[orange79]

Suspect we'll go after a grad transfer in the spring to play the 2 guard. It would be nice if Battle sticks around for 2 years, but seriously doubt it.

Things may turn in our favor soon, but what concerns me is why are we having trouble in this recruiting cycle? Coming off a Final 4 year with playing time to offer next year, we should be building a Top 10 class.

Is there a deeper issue? JB's imminent retirement? Something else?

We'll see. Coming weeks will tell us more.

The difficulties are certainly concerning, given the amount of openings we have. I really think the upcoming retirement and subsequent uncertainty is affecting this. Maybe not in a big way, but it is contributing, IMO.

 

[cuseguy]

The difficulties are certainly concerning, given the amount of openings we have. I really think the upcoming retirement and subsequent uncertainty is affecting this. Maybe not in a big way, but it is contributing, IMO.

Oddly, though, these recruits are generally one and one types, so it wouldn't matter to them. Even two years and they'd be good. Could be some negative recruiting occurring.

 

[iommi]

I'm not sure what all of this concern is about.

We haven't signed anyone for next year. True. We just had one player who we were targeting announce he's going elsewhere. True. I was very bummed we didn't wind up landing Randolph. He would've been perfect for our system. All of that could be a little annoying.

But...

it's mid-October. We will soon have one of the top point guards in his class announce he's going to SU. Yes, that will happen. He will be a huge draw for other players. A lot of these top players want to know who will be getting them the ball. I think once they know Quade Green is Orange, you will see others sign with us. Based on Quade's visit schedule, he could announce by around Halloween or early November, allowing one or two other guys to sign during the early period. I wish he'd announce sooner than later. It's not helping us that he's slow to pull the trigger.

I'm not sure what the negative recruiting could be about. We just got two guys drafted, who will be on opening day rosters. The sanctions have not weakened us significantly. Last time I checked, we just had a Final Four run. And it's starting to look like JB will be around beyond next season.

We are also in good shape with a number of our other targets. This has been laid out throughout threads on the recruiting board.

If we don't land Quade Green, it would be a huge out of left field shock and it would absolutely be a huge gut shot. If that happens, I will join the nervous brigade. Until then, we are fine.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I'm not sure what all of this concern is about.

We haven't signed anyone for next year. True. We just had one player who we were targeting announce he's going elsewhere. True. I was very bummed we didn't wind up landing Randolph. He would've been perfect for our system. All of that could be a little annoying.

But...

it's mid-October. We will soon have one of the top point guards in his class announce he's going to SU. Yes, that will happen. He will be a huge draw for other players. A lot of these top players want to know who will be getting them the ball. I think once they know Quade Green is Orange, you will see others sign with us. Based on Quade's visit schedule, he could announce by around Halloween or early November, allowing one or two other guys to sign during the early period. I wish he'd announce sooner than later. It's not helping us that he's slow to pull the trigger.

I'm not sure what the negative recruiting could be about. We just got two guys drafted, who will be on opening day rosters. The sanctions have not weakened us significantly. Last time I checked, we just had a Final Four run. And it's starting to look like JB will be around beyond next season.

We are also in good shape with a number of our other targets. This has been laid out throughout threads on the recruiting board.

If we don't land Quade Green, it would be a huge out of left field shock and it would absolutely be a huge gut shot. If that happens, I will join the nervous brigade. Until then, we are fine.

I think the concern is we are offering elite wings the opportunity to play here in a friendly system for 2/3's and we've already had 2 say no. I know there are legit reasons why players didn't commit to us, but it creates an uneasiness especially when our 3 best players on our current roster are all 2/3's(I know some think Lydon is a stretch 4) and there is probably a 50% chance none of them will be here next year.

 

[iommi]

I think the concern is we are offering elite wings the opportunity to play here in a friendly system for 2/3's and we've already had 2 say no. I know there are legit reasons why players didn't commit to us, but it creates an uneasiness especially when our 3 best players on our current roster are all 2/3's(I know some think Lydon is a stretch 4) and there is probably a 50% chance none of them will be here next year.

True but O'Connell didn't exactly spurn us. His dad was a legacy at Duke and I don't think we were the favorites there necessarily. Randolph chose U of A over SU, yes.

I get your uneasiness but it's a little too early to panic, which some people are doing. Like I said, let's reassess after the early signing period. As I said in another post, we were in bad shape after Malachi left and look at us now. Staff has a ton of work to do, no doubt.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I agree on O'Connell and I think we will be fine when(if) we get Quade, but outside of the top 50 there isn't many other guys not committed.

I suppose the staff could always just say screw it with the 2017 class, go the grad route, and then try again for elite talent in 2018, but that isn't going make fans comfortable.

 

[Fly Rodder]

"Being involved with" /= commitments. I'll relax some when someone commits. Syracuse is the only ACC team without at least one 2017 commit and they will have more openings than probably any other team except Duke. It's the numbers that worry me. If only one of Lydon/Battle leave early, that's still six openings. Only 9 of the 50-100 guys aren't committed and they aren't on SU's radar. Posters like to joke about Crean's recruiting everyone, but SU has ~6 openings and only 14 offers out there. Of those 14, five committed elsewhere and two are unlikely (Richards and Diallo). That leaves7 offers and 6 openings (I don't think there's an official offer for Brissett[?]). Syracuse doesn't do well when they go head-to-head with Duke/UK/KU, for a recruit. So, I don't know how they're going to hit 88% of their remaining offers.

People are understandably nervous because this is uncharted territory for SU. Typically SU gets a couple of top-100 guys and 1-2 top-40 guys. This year is almost all top-40 guys with lots of openings. UK only has 13 offers out there, but, regardless of his tactics, Cal delivers his class.

Granted, the uneasiness can can change in a heartbeat even if SU "only" gets a class of Green, Bamba, and Diallo.

 

[jordoo]

I agree on O'Connell and I think we will be fine when(if) we get Quade, but outside of the top 50 there isn't many other guys not committed.

I suppose the staff could always just say screw it with the 2017 class, go the grad route, and then try again for elite talent in 2018, but that isn't going make fans comfortable.

No matter what we were always likely to go the grad route at least somewhat for the 2017 class since we will likely only return 4 players. Even bringing in 5-6 freshman its unwise to blindly rely on 4-5 of them to be in the rotation. The worry here is that wing is one of the positions we are in most need of unless some how Battle comes back.

 

[iommi]

Okay, so a lot of the top 50 are gone. I think we will do fine with some top 100 sprinkled in. And yes, we do have a big need at wing. The staff has to go on the assumption Battle won't be back, just based on past SU precedence.

I think things will look better by mid-November. If I'm wrong, it'll be very concerning.

 

[orangecuse]

"Being involved with" /= commitments. I'll relax some when someone commits. Syracuse is the only ACC team without at least one 2017 commit and they will have more openings than probably any other team except Duke. It's the numbers that worry me. If only one of Lydon/Battle leave early, that's still six openings. Only 9 of the 50-100 guys aren't committed and they aren't on SU's radar. Posters like to joke about Crean's recruiting everyone, but SU has ~6 openings and only 14 offers out there. Of those 14, five committed elsewhere and two are unlikely (Richards and Diallo). That leaves7 offers and 6 openings (I don't think there's an official offer . Syracuse doesn't do well when they go head-to-head with Duke/UK/KU, for a recruit. So, I don't know how they're going to hit 88% of their remaining offers.

People are understandably nervous because this is uncharted territory for SU. Typically SU gets a couple of top-100 guys and 1-2 top-40 guys. This year is almost all top-40 guys with lots of openings. UK only has 13 offers out there, but, regardless of his tactics, Cal delivers his class.

Granted, the uneasiness can can change in a heartbeat even if SU "only" gets a class of Green, Bamba, and Diallo.

Excellent post, and very true. Traditionally, our best recruits (recruiting classes) commit sooner than later, and, historically, when we are in the running against the big wigs this late in the process, more times than not we come up the bridesmaid.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I mean it stinks missing on Randolph, but we have some key visits coming up with Brissett, Walker, Preston and Green. Sign those guys and it's probably the best class since the "dynasty" guys. Heck even if we don't get Walker it probably still is.

 

[jordoo]

I mean it stinks missing on Randolph, but we have some key visits coming up with Brissett, Walker, Preston and Green. Sign those guys and it's probably the best class since the "dynasty" guys. Heck even if we don't get Walker it probably still is.

It wouldn't be a bad bet that we get 3 of those 4.

 

[iommi]

It wouldn't be a bad bet that we get 3 of those 4.

Yes. I was about to type virtually the same thing.

It does suck that the only wing there is Walker and he's the last one in the group I'd bet on getting. Still, we have a solid shot there, amongst obviously tough competition.

 

[jordoo]

Yes. I was about to type virtually the same thing.

It does suck that the only wing there is Walker and he's the last one in the group I'd bet on getting. Still, we have a solid shot there, amongst obviously tough competition.

Pretty much. If Battle is gone and we don't get a top notch wing could still bring in Tucker and the best available grad transfer wing.

 

[iommi]

Pretty much. If Battle is gone and we don't get a top notch wing could still bring in Tucker and the best available grad transfer wing.

Yeah, that's the pecking order. I also think we'd identity a diamond in the rough wing we could recruit. Program guy type. We have so many holes next year. The more the merrier. I think if we fill in the other roles with top 50 types, it would dull the pain somewhat of not getting a stud wing. The panic would intensify with the lack of a wing because we are waiting until the spring to re-evaluate Tucker.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Yeah, that's the pecking order. I also think we'd identity a diamond in the rough wing we could recruit. Program guy type. We have so many holes next year. The more the merrier. I think if we fill in the other roles with top 50 types, it would dull the pain somewhat of not getting a stud wing. The panic would intensify with the lack of a wing because we are waiting until the spring to re-evaluate Tucker.

Hameir Wright

 

[iommi]

Hameir Wright

Another guy Francis loves, meaning he's not a viable option.:rolling:

Seriously, though, I always forget about Wright.

 

[jordoo]

Getting Wright to come here in the 17 class would be a huge deal.