Class of 2019 PG Dakota Leffew (GA) Portal to Georgia

[dasher]

Honestly, how many people had heard of this guy 2 months ago? Is he even a top 100 transfer?

I get that it makes sense for him to milk this for all it’s worth, but if sweating some guard from the maac is what Syracuse basketball has become to (while losing our players to Clemson and Duke) it’s a sad state of affairs.

This is a make or break offseason for Red and if this is the basket he is putting all his eggs… yikes.

So Red should be making his judgments form some list some guy put out? Red, who has spent his entire life around basketball has identified this kid as someone he wants. If he isn't that good, why are other schools recruiting him so hard?

 

[albanycuse]

So what is Red's plan B for a PG?
Please tell me he has one.
Not expecting any of these portal adds to move us out of middle of the pack in the ACC.
Color me disappointed.

No it all depends on him, our success for next year and Reds coaching future is all dependent on Dakota.

 

[jdubs30]

So what is Red's plan B for a PG?
Please tell me he has one.
Not expecting any of these portal adds to move us out of middle of the pack in the ACC.
Color me disappointed.

I do wonder how many kids have yet to the portal that don’t have a pre determined destination. The portal is still growing daily

 

[SUFan44]

Honestly, how many people had heard of this guy 2 months ago? Is he even a top 100 transfer?

I get that it makes sense for him to milk this for all it’s worth, but if sweating some guard from the maac is what Syracuse basketball has become to (while losing our players to Clemson and Duke) it’s a sad state of affairs.

This is a make or break offseason for Red and if this is the basket he is putting all his eggs… yikes.

He is the top transfer on our board... allegedly.

 

[boog7]

Honestly, how many people had heard of this guy 2 months ago? Is he even a top 100 transfer?

I get that it makes sense for him to milk this for all it’s worth, but if sweating some guard from the maac is what Syracuse basketball has become to (while losing our players to Clemson and Duke) it’s a sad state of affairs.

This is a make or break offseason for Red and if this is the basket he is putting all his eggs… yikes.

Have you scouted Leffew the way Coach Autry & his staff have? Did you coach him the way the newest member of Red's staff has?

If you haven't then this take holds little to no value - no shade or disrespect intended - just an honest read. Coaches at this level get paid LOTS of money and put in years of work to land jobs of SU's caliber - in a prestigious league like the ACC.

If - after much research, scouting work as well as the advantage of first hand insight - Red & his staff have decided that Leffew is the player they want the most (and obviously he's not crazy judging the caliber of the other schools ALSO after DL) they have earned the benefit of the doubt, imho. As a first year coach Red somehow squeezed 20 wins out of a dysfunctional team that couldn't effin' shoot? So I think that alone should earn him a measure of respect & patience bc it demonstrates that he has coaching ability.

So why not give the man a chance to work his plan before trashing it? You certainly don't know more about Leffew, SU's player ranking board or the overall team-building strategy than Coach Autry does.

Leffew is exploring all his opportunities right now. There's not a damn thing wrong with that. When he's ready, he'll make his decision - hopefully Syracuse. But if DL decides to go elsewhere, Red WILL have a Plan B lined up and he'll do what he thinks is best to improve his squad.

 

[Windyfly]

Let’s just let Red work lol and then make judgements about his ability to build a team after the offseason.

We have 10 guys so at this point we’re just rounding out the last couple players for the rest of our roster and we’re looking for a specific (lead) guard to slot in. If the staff thinks the player fits mold of what they want they’ll go after him.
We’re not as desperate as some are making it out to be and there’s still time left.

And just because things are not being put up on social media or on this board doesn’t mean the staff isn’t still working behind the scenes.

With that being said…I still think we’re in good position for DL and I think the staff feels the same

 

[djcon57]

We’re not as desperate as some are making it out to be and there’s still time left.

There is time left but we are desperate for PG. There is plenty out there, maybe not the level we want, but regardless, make no mistake we are desperate for a PG

 

[RF2044]

If he’s our number one target and seemingly the last piece to the puzzle you would hope we could find some way to make it work. Feels like we’ll be kicking ourselves if we don’t come up with the money here and have to turn to a backup plan. It’s such an important year for Red and I’m sure he feels the urgency so hopefully we can find a way to close the deal here.

Think about it like buying a used car.

The staff has done their research. They've found a car that suits them, and has everything they're looking for, at an attractive sticker price. And they go to the bank and show up with the required $$$ to make the purchase.

But instead of taking the money, the dealer says he'd prefer to hold off, because some other potential buyers want to look at the same car, and might be willing to pay more. But if you pay an extra $2000 above what you originally negotiated, the car is yours.

What do you do?

You can agree to the higher price to close the deal.

Or maybe you decide that while this car was a good fit, it's not the only one out there that meets your requirements, so you'll keep looking for something at the price point you want. Maybe you still love the car, but don't want to pay the extra money, so you keep looking.

I don't think either approach is "right" or "wrong," but that's kind of what happened here.

 

[Windyfly]

There is time left but we are desperate for PG. There is plenty out there, maybe not the level we want, but regardless, make no mistake we are desperate for a PG

Desperate is not the mindstate that Red seems to be under nor should any of us be in. We’re meticulously looking for the right fit and once we find it, that’s it.

We need one player not a whole team.

I’m not worried, im sure we’ll have our guy come fall.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Think about it like buying a used car.

The staff has done their research. They've found a car that suits them, and has everything they're looking for, at an attractive sticker price. And they go to the bank and show up with the required $$$ to make the purchase.

But I stead of taking the money, the dealer says he'd prefer to hold off, because some other potential buyers want to look at the same car, and might be willing to pay more. But if you pay an extra $2000 above what you originally negotiated, the car is yours.

What do you do?

You can agree to the higher price to close the deal.

Or maybe you decide that while this car was a good fit, it's not the only one out there that meets your requirements, so you'll keep looking for something at the price point you want. Maybe you still live the car, but don't want to pay the extra money, so you keep looking.

I don't think either approach is "right" or "wrong," but that's kind of what happened here.

And... the dealer still might take your offer.

 

[FrancoPizza]

No it all depends on him, our success for next year and Reds coaching future is all dependent on Dakota.

Hyperbole… or is it?

 

[baggerbob]

He is the top transfer on our board... allegedly.

This isn't some program changing recruit like Pearl, DC, Owens, Wallace, or Melo
Should be working on another player.

 

[SUFan44]

This isn't some program changing recruit like Pearl, DC, Owens, Wallace, or Melo
Should be working on another player.

Totally agree. Was just pointing out he is our top target which is why him going to all of these places is worrisome.

 

[anglerman]

Okay. To do what, exactly? Go out and get someone who isn't as good because they will say yes today? That isn't a successful way to go about your business. He was just here last weekend. This hasn't dragged on all that long.

Do we have the money to pay him ? Will we pay more than the other schools? If the answer is no don’t we have to move on ?

 

[anglerman]

What does “all this” mean?

Did he tell everyone that unless there was a message board thread that tracked his every move and social media content he wouldn’t go to that school?

Is he asking for a street in every campus to be named after him?

Did he demand prima nocte?

Can we be the highest bidder for him??

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Reds coaching future is all dependent on Dakota.

No

 

[albanycuse]

No

Obviously

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

And... the dealer still might take your offer.

It might be that we made an offer. The kid countered. We said if we meet that, will you commit and not take other visits, and he said no, I want to see what my value is.

 

[kuethstheman]

Do we have the money to pay him ? Will we pay more than the other schools? If the answer is no don’t we have to move on ?

Maybe we are the highest bidder. Who knows? The real question is, have they offered enough? Will he eventually decide to come to SU without SU offering more than they can or want to?

As for "moving on", it depends on what you mean by that. To me, it means telling the kid they're no longer interested and offering someone else. I don't know if that's the right move, but they don't have to. They definitely have to have identified and be in touch with other candidates. They might want to make a contingent offer to the next candidate on their board. I wouldn't call that "moving on", though.

 

[Orangezoo]

He’s been to two soon to be 3 schools after us and hasn’t committed. I’d say everyone should pony up a few bucks and listen to Deans pod. Let’s let this play out. We are two weeks still from the portal closing to non grad txfrs

 

[dasher]

Do we have the money to pay him ? Will we pay more than the other schools? If the answer is no don’t we have to move on ?

We don't really know, do we? I mean, he can say he is offered anything. How would we really know for sure. So, we wait. if he picks someone else, we didn't have the best offer. But until he does, we just don't know.

 

[albanycuse]

Hyperbole… or is it?

Big time sarcasm. I just can’t believe people think its Dakota or bust and the staff has no back up plan lol

 

[Cuse181]

Desperate is not the mindstate that Red seems to be under nor should any of us be in. We’re meticulously looking for the right fit and once we find it, that’s it.

We need one player not a whole team.

I’m not worried, im sure we’ll have our guy come fall.

I have a hard time believing the right fit is a one year rental Judah clone.

 

[Col. Bleep]

There are quite few good point guards in the portal

College basketball transfer portal: Best available prospects after top names come off the board

Which top college basketball transfer portal prospects are still available?

247sports.com

 

[kcsu]

Have you scouted Leffew the way Coach Autry & his staff have? Did you coach him the way the newest member of Red's staff has?

If you haven't then this take holds little to no value - no shade or disrespect intended - just an honest read. Coaches at this level get paid LOTS of money and put in years of work to land jobs of SU's caliber - in a prestigious league like the ACC.

If - after much research, scouting work as well as the advantage of first hand insight - Red & his staff have decided that Leffew is the player they want the most (and obviously he's not crazy judging the caliber of the other schools ALSO after DL) they have earned the benefit of the doubt, imho. As a first year coach Red somehow squeezed 20 wins out of a dysfunctional team that couldn't effin' shoot? So I think that alone should earn him a measure of respect & patience bc it demonstrates that he has coaching ability.

So why not give the man a chance to work his plan before trashing it? You certainly don't know more about Leffew, SU's player ranking board or the overall team-building strategy than Coach Autry does.

Leffew is exploring all his opportunities right now. There's not a damn thing wrong with that. When he's ready, he'll make his decision - hopefully Syracuse. But if DL decides to go elsewhere, Red WILL have a Plan B lined up and he'll do what he thinks is best to improve his squad.

Spot on.