Class of 2016 PG Kobi Simmons (GA) Offered by Syracuse

[Janner]

I think you're actually making the same point I am. The problem is, we AREN'T getting those players to stay for 3-4 years. We're getting them to stay for 1-2 years, during which time they aren't ready [or capable] of carrying the team. And then they bail without SU basketball truly benefitting from their potential capabilities.

So I'd rather get higher rated, truly elite players who CAN get us to the promised land [or carry us closer to it, anyway] before they turn pro -- or we need to find a way to get the just slightly below elite players we're landing to stay a bit longer.

MCW got us to the final four, but it's also important to note that the defense peaked, Triche started playing his best ball in the postseason, we started getting better bench contributions from Keita in the postseason, etc. So it wasn't all just MCW [although he was sensational for us down the stretch that year, up to the Michigan game]. Dion might have been that good, but on that 2012 team he was a luxurious cog in a tremendously deep and athletic team.

Perhaps Greene, Grant, McCullough, and Ennis could have done that if they stayed longer and matured physically, but they didn't. That was the point of my post above. Great prospects with lots of potential, which is why they got drafted. But they sure didn't maximize their capabilities here, and they left without making huge impacts [from most to least:


Ennis


Grant




Greene











McCullough

Funny my friend and I had a very similar conversation, of course we also discussed how it is ruining both college and pro basketball but I digress. I totally agree, the dynamic has changed and I think to some regard the recruiting philosophy needs to change as well. JB and staff has built their program in recent years on the 2, 3, and 4 year players, sprinkling in a 1 and done every once and a while. IMO this philosophy might need to be adjusted. These kids are leaving for the NBA earlier and earlier and we are not getting the return on investment that we use to. If the program is capable of landing more of the 1 and done's I think this is the direction we need to head. Not every kid is going to be that type of player and not every class needs 2 or 3 one and done's but the focus needs to adjust to going after this type of talent. Just my opinion FWIW.

And to be honest I think the staff understands this which is why we are going after these guards, and the Giles of the world. Its a tough task because you don't know how much a kid is going to grow or who will develop into the next MJ, its actually quite impressive what this staff has been able to do over the years in this crazy industry.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[jordoo]

From ORRange in the Gilbert thread about Simmons: "WHY? It's Ga.,NC, or Su I've heard. Kentucky and Duke are out. He doesn't have to wait now. Where'd you hear that?"

Donna's article names UK, UNC, AZ and OSU as some of the teams going after Simmons. His coach says he will trim his long list, solidify some visits and that he expects SU to be on the trimmed list.

I think I'm going to start feeling pretty good about our chances if the list is shortened and SU, GA, UNC remain while Duke and UK are dropped. That would go right along with what ORRange's guy has told him. We'd of course need to get that visit though.

 

[Tony DeFranco]

This kid doesn't know how much he would mean to our program - if he and Moyer panned out and a couple of the 2015's too we could be right back in the hunt for a title

 

[jekelish]

I'm going to go ahead and say that if we land the #5 player in the country as a "consolation prize" after losing Battle, we should probably all stop the doom and gloom, "the program is destroyed!" posts.

Heck, if we land Simmons, who is more highly ranked, you could even say we...

...lost the Battle, but won the war.

 

[ORRange]

SU is in the drivers seat. The staff made great strides against UNC. Visits mean nothing. We have our PG. End of the story. I'll stand by my prediction.

 

[jordoo]

SU is in the drivers seat. The staff made great strides against UNC. Visits mean nothing. We have our PG. End of the story. I'll stand by my prediction.

Wow! That would be great news!

 

[jekelish]

SU is in the drivers seat. The staff made great strides against UNC. Visits mean nothing. We have our PG. End of the story. I'll stand by my prediction.

Holy hell, I want to believe this.

I admit I haven't been following along much...is this based on some buzz you've been hearing, or just a hunch? This would be such an amazing coup.

Give me Kobi Simmons all day, every day.

 

[cusetown1]

SU is in the drivers seat. The staff made great strides against UNC. Visits mean nothing. We have our PG. End of the story. I'll stand by my prediction.

Makes total sense. su puts out lotto guards all the time. Would be a great opportunity for him.

 

[JrodCuse]

Oh man yes please!

 

[JDubbin]

SU is in the drivers seat. The staff made great strides against UNC. Visits mean nothing. We have our PG. End of the story. I'll stand by my prediction.

Don't be messing with my emotions now! Can you imagine Kobi Simmons and Matthew Moyer doing work for the Orange My goodness that would be awesome.

 

[SWFLCUSE]

This board would do a complete 180 from all the doom in gloom about the state of the program to hopefully some more pleasing conversations about our future. I personally would be over the moon excited to bring in Kobi.

 

[Orange4]

Don't be messing with my emotions now! Can you imagine Kobi Simmons and Matthew Moyer doing work for the Orange My goodness that would be awesome.

Simmons and Richardson at the top of the zone, Lydon, Moyer and Diange the backline that is serious talent and serious length. That is a team that will get us back to some serious winning.

 

[Trueblue25]

Why do you build me up, buttercup

 

[GonzoInMD]

Why do you build me up, buttercup

Just to let you down.

 

[weedsportwarriors]

SU is in the drivers seat. The staff made great strides against UNC. Visits mean nothing. We have our PG. End of the story. I'll stand by my prediction.

This would be great news!! How long do you think it will be before he decides and makes a commitment?

 

[jordoo]

Holy hell, I want to believe this.

I admit I haven't been following along much...is this based on some buzz you've been hearing, or just a hunch? This would be such an amazing coup.

Give me Kobi Simmons all day, every day.

He has a dude down there close to the situation. You have to read the Gilbert thread as well which ORRange also posted some Simmons info.

 

[jordoo]

I cannot believe this hasn't gotten more buzz yet! The real possibility of landing a consensus top10 PG a long stretch of months with basically bad news would seem important to me.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I cannot believe this hasn't gotten more buzz yet! The real possibility of landing a consensus top10 PG a long stretch of months with basically bad news would seem important to me.

 

[jordoo]

View attachment 43191

I'm not sure the realization that one of those could entertain me for at least a 1/2 hour, when I'm going 40 is a positive thing.

 

[NineOneSeven]

SU is in the drivers seat. The staff made great strides against UNC. Visits mean nothing. We have our PG. End of the story. I'll stand by my prediction.

Yeah but how many wins do you have?

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Uh... yeah. Remember Pearl? Derrick Coleman? Billy Owens--we beat out Carolina. John Wallace--we beat out Kansas. Just for starters.

When you recruit top prospects, you aren't going to land them all. And some of them were significant losses. Sam Perkins would have been a program changer. Kenny Anderson decided to go el$ewhere due to non-basketball related con$iderations, and not having him during the 1989-1990 season might have cost us a final four run. King Rice was a huge SU fan and likely would have come here, but didn't want to sit behind Sherman Douglas for two years--the timing was just bad [I've actually had that personal conversation with him].

The others you list--meh. I'm glad we didn't land Stephon Marbury. If we had, we wouldn't have gone to the NCAA championship game like we did with Z at the helm.

Sherm was 2nd choice after Boo Harvey picked SJU.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

SU is in the drivers seat. Visits mean nothing.

Said John Beilein NEVER!

 

[OlsenRyan13]

I read an article that we will make his final cut, does anyone know who else is involved? I'm not too worried about UGA/UNC, seeing as one isn't a basketball school and the other is about to be in some serious trouble. More worried about the Duke/Kentucky/Kansas type schools, who you would think would be very involved for a player of this caliber.

 

[iommi]

Looks like that 3 ball is improving for him. Still a bit flat and a slow release but he seemed very solid on those wide open looks. His handle, vision and ability to finish with either hand in a variety of ways seems to have always been his strength. Good size and quickness for a guard in the 2-3 but man he is slightly built.

I've really looked at a lot of film and about the only flaw in his game is that his outside shot release looks like it starts kind of low. He certainly is very crafty in the lane and has a lot of unorthodox releases inside. He's obviously an elite athlete. I love his ability to get to the hole.