Class of 2019 CG Joe Girard III (NY) SIGNED WITH SYRACUSE

[cliftonparksufan]

Would require a sit com to be based in Glens Falls.

JGIII would be third in line

 

[Newhouser]

True. Buddy shot better from the 3, from the FT line and from the field than Joe. He averaged more points playing less minutes. And he is 5 or 6 inches taller, which makes him better suited to being an effective defender in the 2-3. HS basketball isn't played at a high level where Joe plays. He is a great HS player and I wish him well but he isn't going to be better than Hughes, Carey or Goodine. Or Buddy for that matter. Not in the SU system.

People pining for him are, imho, badly misguided. We are full at the inn at SG, he isn't a good fit and belongs somewhere else. Wherever he goes, I hope he does well.

Statistics - 2017 NIKE EYBL - 17U NIKE EYBL

Good points, but where Joe plays the high school ball isn't any better or worse than what Buddy or anyone from Section III played. The GF teams Girardi played on last year would have done fine in Section III. I don't think he's a fit here either. I think he's better than people here are giving him credit for and the thought that Section III hoops is so much better than Section II hoops is a bit nuts to me. That said Hughes, Carey, Goodine and Buddy better come thru and knock down shots because wherever this kid signs - he is going to make some deep 3's.

 

[patcuse]

Good points, but where Joe plays the high school ball isn't any better or worse than what Buddy or anyone from Section III played. The GF teams Girardi played on last year would have done fine in Section III. I don't think he's a fit here either. I think he's better than people here are giving him credit for and the thought that Section III hoops is so much better than Section II hoops is a bit nuts to me. That said Hughes, Carey, Goodine and Buddy better come thru and knock down shots because wherever this kid signs - he is going to make some deep 3's.

He was comparing the two players when they were on the same aau team.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

He was comparing the two players when they were on the same aau team.

Yes, and people need to realize that both player's stats were great. 85%+ from FT line and 45%+ from three. Buddy is a few inches taller and Girard is stockier (stronger?). I believe JD is Class A and Girard plays in a league split between Class A and Class B teams. Tonight's game is vs Amsterdam the #3 ranked Class A team in Section 2. It's not like he is playing against Class D teams. Girard is a great shooter who will be playing at a P5 school and hopefully doesn't blow up like Jimmer did.

 

[CDNCuse]

Good points, but where Joe plays the high school ball isn't any better or worse than what Buddy or anyone from Section III played. The GF teams Girardi played on last year would have done fine in Section III. I don't think he's a fit here either. I think he's better than people here are giving him credit for and the thought that Section III hoops is so much better than Section II hoops is a bit nuts to me. That said Hughes, Carey, Goodine and Buddy better come thru and knock down shots because wherever this kid signs - he is going to make some deep 3's.

People here are not shy about giving him credit.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I’m trying to find a legit reason why people think Girard would blow up instead of Buddy and I still don’t have one.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I’m trying to find a legit reason why people think Girard would blow up instead of Buddy and I still don’t have one.

It's not a Buddy vs Girard thing. It's just that we have 13 scholarships and not offering one to a HS junior who is averaging over 50 ppg and about to become the all time leading scorer in NYS (AS A JUNIOR). Isn't it a given that we want Buddy to blow up.

 

[721Comstock]

I’m trying to find a legit reason why people think Girard would blow up instead of Buddy and I still don’t have one.

Because he scores a crapton of points against sub-par competition?

Everybody thinks he's going to be the next "Local White Kid Who Got Away" - a la Jimmer or Huerter.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Because he scores a crapton of points against sub-par competition?

Everybody thinks he's going to be the next "Local White Kid Who Got Away" - a la Jimmer or Huerter.

And BTW, Huerter is a projected 1st rounder in the 2019 mocks. Cuse needs to show more love to Section 2.

 

[sutomcat]

Good points, but where Joe plays the high school ball isn't any better or worse than what Buddy or anyone from Section III played. The GF teams Girardi played on last year would have done fine in Section III. I don't think he's a fit here either. I think he's better than people here are giving him credit for and the thought that Section III hoops is so much better than Section II hoops is a bit nuts to me. That said Hughes, Carey, Goodine and Buddy better come thru and knock down shots because wherever this kid signs - he is going to make some deep 3's.

Just for the record, I said nothing about the level of competition being better in Section III than in Section II. It is better of course but I didn't comment on that. I think Joe is a good player, good enough to play at the P5 level and I think he will.

We are in agreement that Joe is not a good fit at Syracuse. Doesn't mean he isn't a good player, a good person and that Glens Falls has a nice program.

Surprised Joe bucked the overwhelming trend most D1 level kids from upstate NY have embraced to move to another area to complete the HS eligibility and play against better competition. Not many are staying put these days. Glad it appears he will still get to play at a good program.

Good for him.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Because he scores a crapton of points against sub-par competition?

Everybody thinks he's going to be the next "Local White Kid Who Got Away" - a la Jimmer or Huerter.

Huerter was 6’7” and a legit top 50 player. Girard is 6’1”.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Just for the record, I said nothing about the level of competition being better in Section III than in Section II. It is better of course but I didn't comment on that. I think Joe is a good player, good enough to play at the P5 level and I think he will.

We are in agreement that Joe is not a good fit at Syracuse. Doesn't mean he isn't a good player, a good person and that Glens Falls has a nice program.

Surprised Joe bucked the overwhelming trend most D1 level kids from upstate NY have embraced to move to another area to complete the HS eligibility and play against better competition. Not many are staying put these days. Glad it appears he will still get to play at a good program.

Good for him.

He could always go next year as a HS senior. People are sleeping on his defensive abilities. Not only was he Class B NYS POY for football for his QB play but he was also recognized for his play at DB. Not sure everyone on staff feels he's not a good fit.

 

[sutomcat]

He could always go next year as a HS senior. People are sleeping on his defensive abilities. Not only was he Class B NYS POY for football for his QB play but he was also recognized for his play at DB. Not sure everyone on staff feels he's not a good fit.

Part of being a good fit is playing time. As best I can determine, Joe can only play 2G.

The best natural position for BB, EH, JC and BG is 2G.

Yes, JC and BG will play some PG too but Syracuse has a ton of playing time booked at 2G for the foreseeable future. Especially if Buddy redshirts, which I think is likely.

JB doesn't play many players. If you aren't in the top 7, you just aren't likely to get much PT.

I don't see the fit. This makes no sense to me.

 

[RF2044]

There is no doubt in my mind that Girard can play at the P5 level, and that he can shoot / score. The problem is, I believe, that Girard is duplicative of another smaller guard we already have on the roster [Howard Washington] as a developmental type of program guard who is on the smaller side [I know he's listed at 6-2, but he's also 165 pounds soaking wet].

Girard didn't get a scholarship offer when he was on campus two weeks ago. That tells me that the staff isn't interested in pursuing him, and have their sights set on taller guards. That isn't a slight on the kid -- again, when he's racking up offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, etc. it clearly indicates that he can play at a high level. He's a great fit for those types of squads, probably not the best fit here as Tomcat points out.

Girard would have to be an incredible lead guard / playmaker at that size to fit. Based upon what Tomcat suggests above, that might not be the case. My opinion only, but I think that the staff views Carey as a kid who will be here two years, and Goodine as a lead guard in our system. Which means that along with Howard Washington, there isn't room at the inn for a smaller guard.

If we could somehow make the numbers work, I wouldn't have a problem with the staff extending an offer to this kid. I could see him going to Michigan [for example] and being a very good player who will be discussed on this board for a long time throughout his collegiate career. I'm not a huge fan of the staff's emphasis on "length" over skill, ESPECIALLY in the backcourt.

Wouldn't be opposed to them having Buddy as a walk on who gets school paid for due to his father being an employee, so that they can use the scholarship to load up on another player. Doesn't look like that's the direction they're going to pursue, though.

 

[Janner]

Part of being a good fit is playing time. As best I can determine, Joe can only play 2G.

The best natural position for BB, EH, JC and BG is 2G.

Yes, JC and BG will play some PG too but Syracuse has a ton of playing time booked at 2G for the foreseeable future. Especially if Buddy redshirts, which I think is likely.

JB doesn't play many players. If you aren't in the top 7, you just aren't likely to get much PT.

I don't see the fit. This makes no sense to me.

Yeah I think this post (along with your previous one, and RF's below) are spot on. Does the kid have the tools to play at the P5 level? Personally, I think he does. But, his skills, to a large extent, are already duplicated with the recruits we have coming in and what we will have returning next year. There are other needs that need to be addressed to maximize the efficiencies, not just for next year, but in future years.

I think one of the big questions that is helpful to ask in this situation is, of the recruits we are currently pursuing, who would you take Girard over and why? JMHO.

 

[Newhouser]

Just for the record, I said nothing about the level of competition being better in Section III than in Section II. It is better of course but I didn't comment on that. I think Joe is a good player, good enough to play at the P5 level and I think he will.

We are in agreement that Joe is not a good fit at Syracuse. Doesn't mean he isn't a good player, a good person and that Glens Falls has a nice program.

Surprised Joe bucked the overwhelming trend most D1 level kids from upstate NY have embraced to move to another area to complete the HS eligibility and play against better competition. Not many are staying put these days. Glad it appears he will still get to play at a good program.

Good for him.

Gotcha - I think he stayed because of football.

 

[bnoro]

AAU stats mean so much more than High School stats, since he'll actually be playing the competition from AAU in college. How many of the high school kids he plays against will play at the DIII level, never mind DI?

 

[007]

Several of us have speculated that this is a "roster management" issue and not an indictment on the kid's talent. He is obviously a very talented shooter. Tom and RF make great points.

I think the other issue that could be at play here is that JB knows Girard and his family at a very personal level. That relationship might make JB more inclined to encourage the kid to look at other options in Joe's best interest, rather than have limited projected playing time here.

 

[CuseInNOLA]

I hope it isn't lost on anyone that JGIII is a 2019 recruit and not 2018. We don't know what our roster will look like in two seasons, and we don't know how his last AAU season will play out. Don't write him off as a bad fit just yet... Duke and Nova are already circling, and it isn't for no reason.

 

[SUOrangeSU]

I hope it isn't lost on anyone that JGIII is a 2019 recruit and not 2018. We don't know what our roster will look like in two seasons, and we don't know how his last AAU season will play out. Don't write him off as a bad fit just yet... Duke and Nova are already circling, and it isn't for no reason.

I agree on this!

 

[721Comstock]

I hope it isn't lost on anyone that JGIII is a 2019 recruit and not 2018. We don't know what our roster will look like in two seasons, and we don't know how his last AAU season will play out. Don't write him off as a bad fit just yet... Duke and Nova are already circling, and it isn't for no reason.

We do 'know' with about 99.99% certainty that we will likely have the following guards on the 2019 squad:
Brycen Goodine
Buddy B
Howard Washington
*TBD - other priority 2019 guard recruit not named JGIII. Khalif Battle? Other?

Plus, very likely Hughes, and quite possibly Carey, if he's not 1&D.

So, that's at least 3-4 minimum, with as many as 6 guards on that roster.
Before adding JGIII.

So - I can see why JB and crew aren't in a rush to offer him just yet.

I'd love to have the local stud be our "Random White Guy Off The Bench Who Goes OFF Unexpectedly" - since we've endured being on the receiving end of so many of those against us over the years.

 

[chugg21]

We do 'know' with about 99.99% certainty that we will likely have the following guards on the 2019 squad:
Brycen Goodine
Buddy B
Howard Washington
*TBD - other priority 2019 guard recruit not named JGIII. Khalif Battle? Other?

Plus, very likely Hughes, and quite possibly Carey, if he's not 1&D.

So, that's at least 3-4 minimum, with as many as 6 guards on that roster.
Before adding JGIII.

So - I can see why JB and crew aren't in a rush to offer him just yet.

I'd love to have the local stud be our "Random White Guy Off The Bench Who Goes OFF Unexpectedly" - since we've endured being on the receiving end of so many of those against us over the years.

And he might be 6'3 and the best scorer of anyone on that list in 2 years. I'm so sick of having long, athletic guys that "fit the system" but are below average shooters and have no feel for the game and weak bball iq. But maybe thats just because I don't appreciate a 60-55 game where we shoot 35%.

 

[721Comstock]

And he might be 6'3 and the best scorer of anyone on that list in 2 years. I'm so sick of having long, athletic guys that "fit the system" but are below average shooters and have no feel for the game and weak bball iq. But maybe thats just because I don't appreciate a 60-55 game where we shoot 35%.

The only way he "might be 6'3" is if he has a late growth spurt. He's probably 6', but whatever.
That didn't stop Spike Albrecht from becoming a folk hero.
And at least JGIII has some beef on him from playing football.

How do we know JGIII doesn't also have "no feel for the game and a weak bball IQ"??
He's a freaking prodigy at scoring, especially from range, against scrubs.

We don't really know if he can do anything else that implies "feel for the game and strong Bball IQ".
(Other than being a white kid. Scrappy, plays the right way, coach's son, yada yada yada. )

OR if it will translate against D1 competition.
I'd certainly imagine the shooting part does.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

And he might be 6'3 and the best scorer of anyone on that list in 2 years. I'm so sick of having long, athletic guys that "fit the system" but are below average shooters and have no feel for the game and weak bball iq. But maybe thats just because I don't appreciate a 60-55 game where we shoot 35%.

I thought this way ... then I spent a season watching Taurean Thompson and Andrew White play defense, and Tyler Lydon play the 5.

 

[Funk Doc]

Just some food for thought. Trevor Cooney, one of the most hated/loved players we've ever had was labeled on some sites "the best/purest shooter" in his class. If he doesn't come in with that label, I think a majority of fans would recognize him for what he was...a decent shooter and a hustle defender(great defensive instincts), but a very limited overall basketball player.

Now, I have asked this several times from those that have seen JG play in person. What else is he good at? Can he handle the ball? Is he going to ever be able to beat anyone off the dribble? Good defender? With our outlook of combo guards playing the point and the uncertainty that goes along with that, who's going to create these open looks for him? Would he be able to create his own shot? Can you imagine the outcry on this board if JG were to come here and not shoot above 40% from three?

Yes, I get it, you can never have enough shooters...and this kid is great at that. But I understand, with our roster makeup, it not being a good fit.