Time to start facing some hard truths

[MikeSU02]

look, not only did he not choose Syracuse, he didn't even pay the Orange the courtesy of the official visit. just the sham schedule, putting us last because he knew he'd decide before it came to that.

you don't have to believe that we ever the leader . . . but the fact is that at the end of the day, we were no longer really even in the race

JB's end, whenever it is, is coming relatively soon. While I am sure he will leave the program in a position to succeed (it is his life's work), once he is gone, we are immediately in unstable territory. We need to stock the roster with as much talent as possible to help mitigate everything else that is going on.

This was a big blow. We need Simmons or Murray on board to help us as JB's coaching tenure comes to a conclusion. We need to be a top 15 team that is making deep runs in the tournament.

When kids have the pick of a bunch of elite schools, why go to the one under scrutiny of the NCAA? If you plan on only being there on year, why go to one with that type of attention?

Again, I am sure that JB will tee us up for success whenever he is leaving, but this is a big blow.

McCullough leaving, Bryant, Battle... We need a win.

 

[pearl31]

He even took an official to Duke and didn't pick them. Fire Coach K. His run is over. Can't close the deal anymore.

This isn't about ripping the staff for the job they did or didn't do (though you could argue they seemed to have all eggs in one basket) - it's about the state of our program after the cartel came in and, for all practical purposes, gutted it. Reality

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I thought Battle had been to our campus a few times already. Would something different have happened on the official from the visits he has already taken?

 

[moqui]

I thought Battle had been to our campus a few times already. Would something different have happened on the official from the visits he has already taken?

well, for one thing, he would have had to deceive his hosts while enjoying their hospitality

 

[longislandcuse]

He even took an official to Duke and didn't pick them. Fire Coach K. His run is over. Can't close the deal anymore.

This straw man is such a joke. K gets who he wants and wins National Championships. Right now we have dudes transferring to barely D-1 schools, have missed out on our last two big recruits and rarely make it to the Final 4.

We've always been chronic underachievers given our talent. We can't afford to not at least have that talent.

 

[SUFan44]

Hey everyone: have you seen all of the top level recruits Kentucky has been missing out on lately? Must be the end of the world there, too.

Seriously? Kentucky has made the Final Four 4 of the last 5 years and has won a national title in that span.

They can miss out on 5 top level recruits for every one that SU is even listed with.

They're loaded again next year.

 

[RF2044]

Sometimes I think we don't deserve good things. We lost a top 20 recruit to a fellow peer school and people are acting like it is our manifest destiny to get whomever we want.

Nonsense. It is disingenuous to pretend that Battle was just another recruit we missed out on. The stakes were high on this one. We were all in on Battle, to the detrimental expense of some pretty good other players.

"Manifest destiny" -- rationalize it however you want, but this was an enormous whiff with program changing implications in the near term.

 

[Calilivin28]

Hey everyone: have you seen all of the top level recruits Kentucky has been missing out on lately? Must be the end of the world there, too.

Can't compare Cuse with UK. Of the top 25 players each year, they are a finalist for about 10 of them. Same can only be said for about 2 players with Cuse, so him not coming to Cuse is more of a blow than UK losing a similarly ranked recruit.

 

[rrlbees]

We needed Battle badly. Probably the most important recruit, symbolically or otherwise, in a number of years.

Why? We've been in mNy recruiting battles over the years where we didn't get the top guy but the consolation prize ended up better. He may have been #1 but there is no guarantee that he'll be better than the other guys we are recruiting. There's also been many times we did get our #1 only too see others we recruited do better at other schools.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

well, for one thing, he would have had to deceive his hosts while enjoying their hospitality

 

[pearl31]

He may have been #1 but there is no guarantee that he'll be better than the other guys we are recruiting.

Those other guys were essentially backup plans hastily added in the past month or so. This was a huge miss.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Kentucky is "only" bringing in two five star recruits this year (maybe three if they get Maker)

Duke is bringing in three top 25 kids and Ingram, who I believe is top five.

Pretty solid comparison.

 

[jekelish]

Those other guys were essentially backup plans hastily added in the past month or so. This was a huge miss.

Really? The #5 player in the class is "essentially [a] backup plan"? http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/183236/kobi-simmons

 

[pfister1]

look, not only did he not choose Syracuse, he didn't even pay the Orange the courtesy of the official visit. just the sham schedule, putting us last because he knew he'd decide before it came to that.

you don't have to believe that we were ever the leader . . . but the fact is that at the end of the day, we were no longer really even in the race

Obviously the staff didn't see it that way. What's more alarming that Tyus chose Michigan, or the staff still thought we were the front runner to get him?

 

[moqui]

Obviously the staff didn't see it that way. What's more alarming that Tyus chose Michigan, or the staff still thought we were the front runner to get him?

the latter

 

[rrlbees]

Those other guys were essentially backup plans hastily added in the past month or so. This was a huge miss.

Let it play out.

 

[PeteCalvin]

I thought Battle had been to our campus a few times already. Would something different have happened on the official from the visits he has already taken?

He probably roomed with a guy who hates the program.

I'm half kidding. It's happened in Football a couple of times.

 

[iommi]

He even took an official to Duke and didn't pick them. Fire Coach K. His run is over. Can't close the deal anymore.

I obviously get the sarcasm but Duke just landed Derryk Thornton so therefore no one would ever say K can't close. If we land Simmons, then yeah, you could say that our recruiting still is in good shape.; if not, you really have to question our trajectory.

 

[iommi]

He probably roomed with a guy who hates the program.

I'm half kidding. It's happened in Football a couple of times.

This is actually a great little point but my question would be: did the defections of Buss and BJ hurt us here somewhat? I mean, two guards are disenchanted and transfer...yes, those moves opened up the scholarship(s) but it's really not a good look.

 

[TheCusian]

those of you who felt the sanctions would not matter can pull your heads from the sand now

It remains unclear just how much they are harming us. One miss on one top target does not a case make.

 

[HOFCeluck]

I obviously get the sarcasm but Duke just landed Derryk Thornton so therefore no one would ever say K can't close. If we land Simmons, then yeah, you could say that our recruiting still is in good shape.; if not, you really have to question our trajectory.

Yeah Duke's been killing it on the recruiting trail. I can't see how anyone could think that comparison is legit.

 

[TheCusian]

Man, I can see why a lot of Basketball onlies are not football fans. You'd have had a heart attack 6 years ago.

Let it roll off - basketball is fine.

 

[cuseguy]

Sanctions may have played a role. Hard to say. But JB's short shelf life may be paying a factor. I say may. But the program, and not JB, needs to be our selling point going forward.

Tyus would have been a sweet get. No doubt. But I think Joseph and Howard will be fine. What I'd like to see us land is a defensive minded 2 who can shoot. In other words, a more talented Cooney. If Malachi can learn to play D, maybe he's the guy.

But I don't see a pure point as our biggest concern.

 

[Full_Rebar]

This is actually a great little point but my question would be: did the defections of Buss and BJ hurt us here somewhat? I mean, two guards are disenchanted and transfer...yes, those moves opened up the scholarship(s) but it's really not a good look.

I don't think you can lump Patterson and BJ together like that. I mean leaving because you want to take a redshirt year doesn't scream disenchanted.

 

[Brooky03]

lol errbody skerred.


chill the F out