I'm worried this uptick in recruiting is a red herring

[PoppyHart]

Whether from lack of ILN funds, lack of talent evaluation skills, or otherwise, we've basically struck out on the portal.

Unfortunately, that is the new recruiting ground, and veteran presence is what wins games at the collegiate level these days.

18 year old "boys" vs. GAM is going to be one-sided almost every time, unless you are able to snag the Cooper Flagg's and Dylan Harper's of the class.

Is it possible that Red's success with the HS kids is a reflection of other schools de-emphasizing that recruiting path in favor of the portal? Or are we just eating at the only table that has room while the big boys gobble up seconds?

ESPN ranked the top-100 players in college back in late-October. This is not a ranking based on potential, like you'd see with the draft, but based on current talent and ability to perform and win right now.

Of the top-25, the underclassmen were Flagg (1), Ace Bailey (9), Harper (12), VJ Edgecombe (16), and Tre Johnson (25.

There were ZERO sophomores and 3 Juniors (Karaban, Tamin Lipsey, and Braden Smith) on the list. And 17 seniors!

Of the 17 seniors, only 5 have never transferred schools (Zeigler, Kam Jones, Kalkbrenner, Wade Taylor, and RJ Davis).

While it's nice to supplement winning teams with some underclass talent, it's not great to build your foundation there. If JJ does not return, in all likelihood our top 4-5 players will be 1st or 2nd year players.


The 100 best men's players entering the new season

 

[Sbucketball]

Whether from lack of ILN funds, lack of talent evaluation skills, or otherwise, we've basically struck out on the portal.

Unfortunately, that is the new recruiting ground, and veteran presence is what wins games at the collegiate level these days.

18 year old "boys" vs. GAM is going to be one-sided almost every time, unless you are able to snag the Cooper Flagg's and Dylan Harper's of the class.

Is it possible that Red's success with the HS kids is a reflection of other schools de-emphasizing that recruiting path in favor of the portal? Or are we just eating at the only table that has room while the big boys gobble up seconds?

ESPN ranked the top-100 players in college back in late-October. This is not a ranking based on potential, like you'd see with the draft, but based on current talent and ability to perform and win right now.

Of the top-25, the underclassmen were Flagg (1), Ace Bailey (9), Harper (12), VJ Edgecombe (16), and Tre Johnson (25.

There were ZERO sophomores and 3 Juniors (Karaban, Tamin Lipsey, and Braden Smith) on the list. And 17 seniors!

Of the 17 seniors, only 5 have never transferred schools (Zeigler, Kam Jones, Kalkbrenner, Wade Taylor, and RJ Davis).

While it's nice to supplement winning teams with some underclass talent, it's not great to build your foundation there. If JJ does not return, in all likelihood our top 4-5 players will be 1st or 2nd year players.


The 100 best men's players entering the new season

Looking quick and superficially, it seems like Red is recruiting really well. Thinking deeply about it, you don't have enough information to draw a conclusion yet.

• Programs taking less HS kids so there's more available -- everyone's seeing uptick in HS recruiting. I've mentioned this before.
• Guaranteed to feel like an uptick post-JB because recruiting fell off at the end (which JB admitted, for those who still deny this type of stuff).
• Moore already committed to JB. Kiyan always wanted Cuse.
• Freeman and Sadiq are impressive and are here because of Straughn (credit to Red for hiring a recruiter on staff - but acknowledge who the recruiter is).
• NIL. Money is the best recruiter. We don't have tons, but it still got us some guys, such as Lampkin who cost 800k after he almost split for a better offer. It was more like a business deal than a recruitment. And that's the way of things now so that's fine.
• Brand and vision -- playing fast transition basketball for Syracuse still has an appeal, and should be easy to sell. That means many, under 80 and who are driven to do the job, could recruit for that.
• This list ignores that he was a recruiter during the fall-off of JB's end years, because it was hard to recruit for him at that point.

Red MIGHT be a really good recruiter. I hope he is. I think he might be. But for someone thinking deeply about things, it will take a few more cycles to know. We can't assume he's an ace. Unfortunately, his vision will be harder to sell on the recruiting trail after this year.

 

[MamesJungro]

Hot take. the big names we’ve gotten recently - Freeman, Benny, Judah - are all physically talented but came with enormous flaws and maybe that was why they came here

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Hot take. the big names we’ve gotten recently - Freeman, Benny, Judah - are all physically talented but came with enormous flaws and maybe that was why they came here

Come on.

 

[dasher]

Looking quick and superficially, it seems like Red is recruiting really well. Thinking deeply about it, you don't have enough information to draw a conclusion yet.

• Programs taking less HS kids so there's more available -- everyone's seeing uptick in HS recruiting. I've mentioned this before.
• Guaranteed to feel like an uptick post-JB because recruiting fell off at the end (which JB admitted, for those who still deny this type of stuff).
• Moore already committed to JB. Kiyan always wanted Cuse.
• Freeman and Sadiq are impressive and are here because of Straughn (credit to Red for hiring a recruiter on staff - but acknowledge who the recruiter is).
• NIL. Money is the best recruiter. We don't have tons, but it still got us some guys, such as Lampkin who cost 800k after he almost split for a better offer. It was more like a business deal than a recruitment. And that's the way of things now so that's fine.
• Brand and vision -- playing fast transition basketball for Syracuse still has an appeal, and should be easy to sell. That means many, under 80 and who are driven to do the job, could recruit for that.
• This list ignores that he was a recruiter during the fall-off of JB's end years, because it was hard to recruit for him at that point.

Red MIGHT be a really good recruiter. I hope he is. I think he might be. But for someone thinking deeply about things, it will take a few more cycles to know. We can't assume he's an ace. Unfortunately, his vision will be harder to sell on the recruiting trail after this year.

Kiyan didn't always want Syracuse. There was a great push from USC. That, is a fact

 

[MamesJungro]

Come on.

I dunno I’ve hear crazier. Talented kids that more selective schools stayed away from for one reason or another

 

[jncuse]

NIL has significantly strengthened the NCAA senior player pool.. In theory this would make the NCAA a much better product... except the transfer portal.

 

[chuck]

The sport is not nearly as strong as it was b4. Maybe to the young people it is but it's really not.

 

[HoustonCuse]

listen guys, I’m completely fed up with the coaching and see no hope on that front, but the fact is that Red has done a good to very good job with HS recruiting. Both things can be true, he can do well in one thing and poorly in the other. We don’t need to artificially diminish his accomplishments or abilities in one area in order to bolster our dissatisfaction with another. It’s unnecessary and unfair.

 

[Col. Bleep]

Any thoughts about next season's talent must consider the possibility that current players will make use of the portal. After all, they may not be thrilled about playing on a team that will be lucky to win 10 or 12 games this season. That means the Orange could lose the best underclassmen they have.