Geno Thorpe - COMMITTED TO SYRACUSE

[Ryand877]

Makes total sense but Ayala, being a combo, would give us a lot of versatility at the guard position.

Isn't Thorpe a combo also?

 

[cuseinseattle]

Isn't Thorpe a combo also?

He is but only for 1 year. In year 2 we would still have Ayala and Thorpe would not be back. I would prefer 1 year of Thorpe with Antwann Jones and Hughes to go with Carey myself.

 

[Ryand877]

He is but only for 1 year. In year 2 we would still have Ayala and Thorpe would not be back. I would prefer 1 year of Thorpe with Antwann Jones and Hughes to go with Carey myself.

Definitely. Haven't heard as much Ayala buzz recently- Is he still a realistic possibility for this year?

 

[jordoo]

Definitely. Haven't heard as much Ayala buzz recently- Is he still a realistic possibility for this year?

I know that the staff still wants him. I'm not sure that we can keep counting daises waiting for him to decide though. His AAU coach seems to be advising him to stay in the 2018 class.

 

[Footey04]

This is where I'm at for next season. For now I'm going to just assume we enter next year with 8 guys until we sign anyone because I don't have much confidence we sign anyone.

Is there any evidence we're trying to get him on campus for a visit, have we contacted him?

 

[GooseMutt]

I really hope we are pushing hard for Thorpe now. Not to state the obvious. We need his shot.

If Thorpe thinks he has a legimate shot at NBA in comes to Cuse. If he doesn't , he stays home at Pitt and enjoys his time with family there.

 

[Footey04]

Tell jb to get him to dome for a visit what's he waiting for

 

[pearl31]

Is there any evidence we're trying to get him on campus for a visit, have we contacted him?

I believe dasher posted that the Thorpe and the staff have been in contact

 

[reedny]

I know that the staff still wants him. I'm not sure that we can keep counting daises waiting for him to decide though. His AAU coach seems to be advising him to stay in the 2018 class.

The problem with "waiting" (on Ayala or others) is that lately it hasn't helped us. While I don't agree with the dooms-dayers (we could still have a decent '17 class and bounce back in '18), we are definitely in a mini-slump with the current strategy. For a while (before the NCAA mess), we were recruiting at least one 5-star/top 40-type player every year. The list includes DC, Rak, Ennis, McCullough, Battle (although he verballed to UM first). Then the sanctions hit, and we started to struggle. We did get TT (and White off the G-T market), but there have been a lot of disappointments.

While we've struggled, it seems like the top-third of the ACC teams have moved up the recruiting ladder. They're stocking talent, with 6'11 - 7 footers all over the place. Several teams have 2-3 big centers (UNC with Meeks, Hicks and Johnson last year), Duke, LV with Mahmoud and the foreign dudes they get every year, etc.. WF has a couple talented bigs, and even G-T has a capable 7-footer (lammers).

It's impossible to say whether JB's age, the NCAA's, the aging Dome, bad luck, or a combination thereof is behind this. But something seems to be going on. I wisih we could move our recruiting timeline to the left. Waiting has hurt us more than it has helped. We did get TT late but got burrned on a bunch of others by waiting (Noel, Green, Tucker, etc...). These past couple of years, it seems like the top 50 kids either pick selector programs right away (Duke, UK, UNC, Kansas) or "wait" for a selector offer later by leveraging next-tier programs like SU. I'm not blaming recruits -- that's the game. To get the best offer you can. But we have to play the game too. Waiting is hurting us -- huge amounts of time and effort getting used as leverage only to have $ or some selector school swoop in in Spring. Maybe we'd be better off pushing for earlier decisions/commitments instead of getting strung out.

 

[dasher]

The problem with "waiting" (on Ayala or others) is that lately it hasn't helped us. While I don't agree with the dooms-dayers (we could still have a decent '17 class and bounce back in '18), we are definitely in a mini-slump with the current strategy. Going back about 5 years (before the NCAA mess), we recruited at least one 5-star/top 40-type player pretty much every year. The list includes DC, Rak, Ennis, McCullough, Battle (although he verballed to UM first). Then after the sanctions, we started to struggle and it's stayed that way (despite getting TT and White).

At the same time, it seems like the top-third of the ACC teams have moved up the recruiting ladder. They're stocking talent, with 6'11 - 7 footers all over the place. Several teams have 2-3 big centers (UNC with Meeks, Hicks and Johnson last year), Duke, LV with Mahmoud and the foreign dudes they get every year, etc.. WF has a couple talented bigs, and even G-T has a capable 7-footer (lammers).

It's impossible to say whether JB's age, the NCAA's, the aging Dome, bad luck, or a combination thereof is behind this. But something seems to be going on. I wisih we could move our recruiting timeline to the left. Waiting has hurt us more than it has helped. We did get TT late but got burrned on a bunch of others by waiting (Noel, Green, Tucker, etc...). These past couple of years, it seems like the top 50 kids either pick selector programs right away (Duke, UK, UNC, Kansas) or "wait" for a selector offer later by leveraging next-tier programs like SU. I'm not blaming recruits -- that's the game. To get the best offer you can. But we have to play the game too. Waiting is hurting us -- huge amounts of time and effort getting used as leverage only to have $ or some selector school swoop in in Spring. Maybe we'd be better off pushing for earlier decisions/commitments instead of getting strung out and used as leverage.

Have you ever been in sales? Sometimes you get played. It is the nature of the beast. I'm sure it happens to Duke and Kentucky. I bet duke thought they were going to get Knox.

 

[reedny]

Have you ever been in sales? Sometimes you get played. It is the nature of the beast. I'm sure it happens to Duke and Kentucky. I bet duke thought they were going to get Knox.

I'm not in sales, and I know recruiting isn't easy. At the same time, why keep taking it on the chin by waiting until the Spring and putting in massive amounts of recruiting time and effort so we can get used by recruits who're looking to go elsewhere? I'm just saying, maybe moving our recruiting time-line to the left (going after kids earlier that want to be here and might be top 100 instead of top 50) would be a better strategy.

Our recruiting sanctions are done this month (thank god). But even at full strength (which will help), waiting until the Spring lottery hasn't done us much good. There are going to be Greens and Tuckers every year from now on -- that's how THEY play. I'm wondering if we should adjust how WE PLAY.

 

[iommi]

He is but only for 1 year. In year 2 we would still have Ayala and Thorpe would not be back. I would prefer 1 year of Thorpe with Antwann Jones and Hughes to go with Carey myself.

Yeah I was referring to '18 roster.

 

[pearl31]

geez I hope staff is in contact w Geno. and hope even more they aren't holding off on Geno as they wait for Ayala

 

[Footey04]

Anyone know?

 

[dasher]

geez I hope staff is in contact w Geno. and hope even more they aren't holding off on Geno as they wait for Ayala

I think there is a real question about whether they want him. No kidding.

 

[Day2]

I think there is a real question about whether they want him. No kidding.

Can you disclose the reason?

 

[dasher]

Can you disclose the reason?

Who the heck knows? Not me. That is for sure.

 

[pearl31]

ugh

 

[longislandcuse]

In a bold move, Syracuse University revamps the traditional positional lineups in favor of a SG-PF-PF-PF-PF rotation.

 

[Day2]

In a bold move, Syracuse University revamps the traditional positional lineups in favor of a SG-PF-PF-PF-PF rotation.

That's a long defense at least. Average score of games will be 18-14.

 

[PauliePeppas]

I think there is a real question about whether they want him. No kidding.

 

[jordoo]

I think there is a real question about whether they want him. No kidding.

They don't want him in comparison to who? Someone we have on the roster? (can't be) Someone else we can get? (Not a lot of options) :noidea:

 

[dasher]

They don't want him in comparison to who? Someone we have on the roster? (can't be) Someone else we can get? (Not a lot of options) :noidea:

??? I don't know or understand this situation.

 

[Cusesky8214]

It does seem like they are waiting on someone. If they wanted thorpe wouldn't we be pursuing him pretty hard like a week or 2 ago? I know some habe said we have been in contact with him but it feels like that's all it's been is just small talk. I'd have to think we would be one of the best options out there for him and if we were aggressive then we would have a pretty darn good chance of landing him. Makes ya wonder what our game plan is that's for sure.

 

[jordoo]

??? I don't know or understand this situation.

I don't know what to say to that. Guess we are back in another waiting pattern for EA