Then why does SU continue to recruit players like him, given that their
player development has not consistently turned that type of athlete into
a solid college player? I don't want "athletes learning how to play the
game" at the position, I don't want to think about putting Junior and his
career 4 rpg in the Ivy League at the position, nor Swider and his 2.5 rpg
there either. SU has enough trouble rebounding and playing D at the
position already. And honestly, those thinking that Sidibe was last year
going to be great or this year is going to be serviceable, I think you're
reaching. He is a guy who had a string of six good games at the end of
his junior year, and had put together a grand total of eight good games for
the rest of his career, half of which were against such hoop powerhouses
as Colgate (twice), Niagara, and Oakland. I don't see what he's done to
drive expectations that he's was going to be a solid player last year or
this. I think SU'd be far better off riding Jessie Edwards into the
ground, and going to recruit someone like Myles Johnson of Rutgers, who's
now at UCLA. The dude is 6'11", 265 lbs, and goes for running two year
averages of 8p/8r/2b per. He came out of HS listed at 6'9", 245 lbs, and
ranked like 300th, but SU has to go and find the skinniest kids at the
position they can find, and then can't coach them up to be able to play?
This is from the coach constantly, "he's not ready". Your JOB is to get
them ready, correct? Then the other parts of the job, winning, bringing
in revenue/exposure for the school, get easier.
Sidibe is a good student-athlete, school rep, ambassador of the game,
and other stuff, I just don't think he's someone you can count on to
contribute much, and it's unfortunate that he's had such physical issues.
Kev