Class of 2018 PF/C Osun Osunniyi (CT) to St. Bonaventure

[Janner]

We are done for this cycle.

Would the staff be open to a traditional transfer at this position if a suitable one became available?

 

[Gotothehole]

Its amazing a few people don't get that recruiting is a 2 way street. We have needs, identify them and go after them. That's what we did with OO for 3-4 weeks. OO has needs or desires and criteria also. Look at his recruiting timeline. He commits to LaSalle. Their coaching staff convinces him he needs a prep year. So he goes to prep for a year. After prep school he remains committed to LaSalle. The LaSalle staff gets let go. OO stills wants to stay at LaSalle, but according to his prep coach things didn't "work out", whatever that means. So he opens his recruitment. He has SB, SU, GTown, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and one other wanting him. He chose SB. Why? Even if he didn't like SU, why didn't he even give Pitt or VT the time of day? If you haven't talked with him then you're making the assumption his criterion doesn't mean anything. What if HIS criteria was immediate PT? What does JB say to him when they meet to discuss HIS criteria? Maybe his teammate recently committing to LaSalle also played a role? Some of you think all we need to do is snap our fingers and disregard what is in the players head.

Bees think we have an understanding of how this works . The topic here is an underachieving recruiter who some want to lead this program

 

[rrlbees]

Griff has been an assistant for multiple programs. We know he has a body of work. The question for you is has GMAC earned his spot ?

I like Griff. But since you made the statement, can you tell us his body of work? Hits and misses. Or are you just assuming?

 

[rrlbees]

Bees think we have an understanding of how this works . The topic here is an underachieving recruiter who some want to lead this program

That's the opinion of a few fans. Not the people that count. We had ~20 offers this cycle. Were they all GMac recruits?

 

[rrlbees]

Bees think we have an understanding of how this works . The topic here is an underachieving recruiter who some want to lead this program

And I don't think some have an understanding of how this works. Nobody has yet said what we could have done differently if the kid wanted a program with immediate playing time.

 

[kcsu]

That's the opinion of a few fans. Not the people that count. We had ~20 offers this cycle. Were they all GMac recruits?

Gmac has only closed a couple of kids. This cycle is going to be very telling.

 

[rrlbees]

Gmac has only closed a couple of kids. This cycle is going to be very telling.

How does that address my comment? Were all 20 GMac recruits (hint: no)? How'd we lose the others?

 

[moqui]

Osunnyi recruiting thread to be locked in 3...2...1...

just retitle it "all inclusive recruiting dumpster fire thread"

 

[HOFCeluck]

"Underachieving." LOL. That silly narrative is supported almost entirely by his miss on Quade. And I doubt anyone on our staff was closing that deal.

 

[jdubs30]

That's the opinion of a few fans. Not the people that count. We had ~20 offers this cycle. Were they all GMac recruits?

bees I couldn't agree more with you the past few pages. I like GMac a lot and think he is fine - I think (I don't feel this way) that people still can't get over Quade and that more than anything has led to this GMac bashing. GMac could have done NOTHING different in the QG recruitment, but if we ended up getting him I think people wouldn't talk about GMac at all

 

[rrlbees]

bees I couldn't agree more with you the past few pages. I like GMac a lot and think he is fine - I think (I don't feel this way) that people still can't get over Quade and that more than anything has led to this GMac bashing. GMac could have done NOTHING different in the QG recruitment, but if we ended up getting him I think people wouldn't talk about GMac at all

Exactly.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Griff has been an assistant for multiple programs. We know he has a body of work. The question for you is has GMAC earned his spot ?

Who did Griffin recruit at other schools? Anyone that could play at Syracuse?

 

[djorange1989]

bees I couldn't agree more with you the past few pages. I like GMac a lot and think he is fine - I think (I don't feel this way) that people still can't get over Quade and that more than anything has led to this GMac bashing. GMac could have done NOTHING different in the QG recruitment, but if we ended up getting him I think people wouldn't talk about GMac at all

He could have done more: give the kid a bag of cash like Cal and Wes did and get us the death penalty

 

[IthacaMatt]

Where was he going to play and for whom?

At center, for whichever center gets injured from time to time during the coming season.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Us wanting a kid doesn't necessarily mean he would have played next year.

When both our returning centers are coming off injuries, I think it's a pretty good bet he would have seen some quality time over the course of 35 games or so.

 

[chugg21]

Would the staff be open to a traditional transfer at this position if a suitable one became available?

I would doubt it unless it was someone with big time potential and that they still had 3 years left after their redshirt year so that they lined up with this 2018 class.

 

[HOFCeluck]

When both our returning centers are coming off injuries, I think it's a pretty good bet he would have seen some quality time over the course of 35 games or so.

Maybe he doesn't want to bank on one of our other C's to get injured to have to earn PT?

 

[jdubs30]

Maybe he doesn't want to bank on one of our other C's to get injured to have to earn PT?

“So he’s scared to compete for playing time then!”

/sarcasm

 

[IthacaMatt]

Maybe he doesn't want to bank on one of our other C's to get injured to have to earn PT?

I'm not questioning the kid's decision. He has to decide what's best for himself, and playing regularly is better than being a bench player on a team that has a small chance at glory.

That doesn't change the fact that we are dangerously thin in the frontcourt, again.

 

[moqui]

When both our returning centers are coming off injuries, I think it's a pretty good bet he would have seen some quality time over the course of 35 games or so.

but you are betting with his money. he is the one with skin in the game, not you, and he didn't see it that way.

 

[OrangeDW]

It’s an odd decision from the outside, to adults that have followed college basketball for awhile.

The chance to go to Syracuse, even if you’ve gotta sit the bench for a year or two vs. going to St. Bonaventure...that’s just historically never been much of a decision. In fact, traditionally the kid probably goes to Syracuse and if it doesn’t seem to be working out, he transfers to a St. Bonaventure type school after a year or two.

But every situation is different, and immediate playing time seems to be a bigger factor now than it ever was for a lot of kids.

Personally if it was me, I think I’d go to the best program that I realistically had a chance to eventually get playing time at. I’d rather get on the court for 2-3 years at a Syracuse than start for 4 at a St. Bonaventure. But that’s me.

 

[ORANGE OATH]

Long and short of it, kid wanted playing time. Syracuse was not his best option so he went to the Bonnies. Shows me he had low confidence level, hence he is far better off at the A10 level !!!!!

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Tom Izzo and John Beilein just lost an in-state kid to Depaul.

Get the pitchforks ready.

 

[littlereg]

Just my two cents, but I think it would be far more productive to put all our efforts into getting a BIG TIME center for 2019. We swung and missed in 2018 with big guys. It shouldn't happen. It stinks, but it is what it is. Playing time will not be an issue in 2019, so if we whiff again, and don't land on a 4-5 star big guy next class, IMO there will be some explaining to do.

I agree with this. I don’t think there is a Problem yet. If we strike out next year, that’s when we know there is a problem.

 

[JazzNC]

Its amazing a few people don't get that recruiting is a 2 way street. We have needs, identify them and go after them. That's what we did with OO for 3-4 weeks. OO has needs or desires and criteria also. Look at his recruiting timeline. He commits to LaSalle. Their coaching staff convinces him he needs a prep year. So he goes to prep for a year. After prep school he remains committed to LaSalle. The LaSalle staff gets let go. OO stills wants to stay at LaSalle, but according to his prep coach things didn't "work out", whatever that means. So he opens his recruitment. He has SB, SU, GTown, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and one other wanting him. He chose SB. Why? Even if he didn't like SU, why didn't he even give Pitt or VT the time of day? If you haven't talked with him then you're making the assumption his criterion doesn't mean anything. What if HIS criteria was immediate PT? What does JB say to him when they meet to discuss HIS criteria? Maybe his teammate recently committing to LaSalle also played a role? Some of you think all we need to do is snap our fingers and disregard what is in the players head.

Is it possible that what you're seeing on the message board is frustration at missing out on recruiting a third center when many of us believe it should've been a higher priority? Is it possible that many of us which you perceive as being harshly critical do understand that OO was not a perfect fit for SU, but can still be disappointed in the staff for swinging and missing on a center all together? Is it possible that many of us (myself included) can think that the staff messed up, but still also believe they run an amazing program? Is is possible that (to use your line) it is a two way street? Maybe there is some truth to what both sides are saying? Just sayin'. I for one think JB is coming off his best coaching job ever. That doesn't mean I (or others) can't express disappointment in this miss.