Recruiting Philosophy

[longislandcuse]

Clemson Football has owned CFB, not because they bring in #1 Recruiting Classes year in/year out but because they hit on their top recruits, have top notch development and get high end talent at the gamebreaker positions - QB/DL/WR.

Contrast that with what we’ve been doing, aside from the obvious:

-Recruiting misses
-Not hitting on top recruits that we do get
-Tier 2 Talent

Let’s talk about Philosophy as it relates to the Zone.

Due to being obsessed with the Zone, only playing Zone, never deviated from Zone, we obviously recruit to the Zone.

This means long, athletic guards, wings and shot blockers.

Since we can’t get the Top 10 guys who have both skill and length under JB anymore, we recruit the next level of guys who have less skill, more length and hope to develop them (haha).

Here’s the deal. Our entire philosophy brings us borderline NBA Talent at the 2, 3 and 4.

Guess what positions are of least importance in CBB... yea, you guessed it.

What are the most important positions? The 1 & 5. The two positions we can’t recruit or develop.

It’s like a team trying to compete with Clemson’s QB, DL and WRs and thinking they can win with talented Linebackers and Running Backs. You can’t, and won’t. Some positions are way more important than others. Our entire philosophy lends us to placing importance of the positions that don’t matter as much while being willfully or unable to recruit/develop the positions that do.

This is a huge problem and one that we can simply hope is fixed next year, because as it looks now it’s more of the same. Talent at the 2, 3 and 4 while hoping for the best at the 1 & 5.

 

[syrBossHogg]

Agreed, the guards we bring in don't have good enough ball handling/passing skills. Too much emphasis on recruiting combo guards and trying to turn them into point guards

 

[Edfromsodus]

Virginia doesn't bring in top 10 talent. They bring in 3-4 year guys.

We've had some back luck with players leaving early. Waiters, MCW, Ennis, Richardson, Grant, McCullough, Lyndon, the list goes on and on...

 

[longislandcuse]

Virginia doesn't bring in top 10 talent. They bring in 3-4 year guys.

We've had some back luck with players leaving early. Waiters, MCW, Ennis, Richardson, Grant, McCullough, Lyndon, the list goes on and on...

They develop guys though. They also have a system that works... in the regular season, at least. If they don’t get to a Final 4 this year, Bennett will start to feel heat for that, and rightfully so.

Our system doesn’t seem to work.

Our recruiting has slipped.

We don’t develop anyone.

We’re basically what you’d expect a team of Top 100/150 recruits who have a lot of length to be.. Mediocre but can give teams without shooters or familiarity trouble, with just enough talent that guys can go off for stretches and take over a game here and there.

Nobody seems to get better, we have no offensive scheme or defensive adjustments. It’s just roll the ball out there, play zone and maybe we can score enough.

Sorry if I feel that a lot of coaches can do that at Syracuse. I don’t see what JB brings to the table anymore.

 

[Edfromsodus]

We don't develop guys? Then why did all the recruits mentioned above leave early. Oh my head.

 

[orangecuse]

Virginia doesn't bring in top 10 talent. They bring in 3-4 year guys.

We've had some back luck with players leaving early. Waiters, MCW, Ennis, Richardson, Grant, McCullough, Lyndon, the list goes on and on...

I don't know about bad luck as much as it has to do with missing on better talent with who we brought it to replace those players. As a top program, a large part of that is bringing in better talent, and with better talent anticipating early departures, etc., especially in today's climate of guys going in the first round more on potential than production. JB admitted on Thursday night during his final show that the talent level needs to improve if SU is ever going to get to that first tier level in this league.

 

[ethoo18]

We don't develop guys? Then why did all the recruits mentioned above leave early. Oh my head.

We don’t develop ANYMORE. Key word bud. Stop being a cupcake, this program is getting worse and worse and it’s obvious.

 

[longislandcuse]

We don't develop guys? Then why did all the recruits mentioned above leave early. Oh my head.

...because they would have anywhere they went.

Some of the guys you referenced were also like 5-6 years ago. I mean, McCullough?... really?

 

[longislandcuse]

I don't know about bad luck as much as it has to do with missing on better talent with who we brought it to replace those players. As a top program, a large part of that is bringing in better talent, and with better talent anticipating early departures, etc., especially in today's climate of guys going in the first round more on potential than production. JB admitted on Thursday night during his final show that the talent level needs to improve if SU is ever going to get to that first tier level in this league.

It needs to be done at the 1 & 5. If he could get Top 20 guys, we’d be fine because those guys have size, length and talent. Since he can’t, he needs to pick a struggle... and the one he’s picked lately isn’t working. He’s gone with size at the 1 & 5, yet is unable to develop the talent/skill at those positions and it’s killing us on the court.

 

[OrangeDW]

We don’t develop ANYMORE. Key word bud. Stop being a cupcake, this program is getting worse and worse and it’s obvious.

Oh man...this exchange could be good.

 

[ethoo18]

Oh man...this exchange could be good.

I’m backkkkkk

 

[orangecuse]

...because they would have anywhere they went.

Some of the guys you referenced were also like 5-6 years ago. I mean, McCullough?... really?

Exactly. One and dones aren't here long enough to claim "development." Even, two years guys like Lydon one can argue isn't here long enough to really argue how they "developed" under the program. Lydon's stock didn't really go up from his remarkable frosh season to his soph year. So, one could even argue, he didn't develop at all while here.

 

[OrangeDW]

...because they would have anywhere they went.

Some of the guys you referenced were also like 5-6 years ago. I mean, McCullough?... really?

Keep in mind you’re talking to a guy who two years ago kept posting about how Autry Jr was going to be the starting PG.

He’s trying to mock Syracuse fans with every post he makes. Read his stuff from that perspective and it makes a lot more sense.

 

[Alsacs]

It needs to be done at the 1 & 5. If he could get Top 20 guys, we’d be fine because those guys have size, length and talent. Since he can’t, he needs to pick a struggle... and the one he’s picked lately isn’t working. He’s gone with size at the 1 & 5, yet is unable to develop the talent/skill at those positions and it’s killing us on the court.

I am convinced if you gave JB the Dike
Roster he would go further than I think it will under K this year.
Give JB talent and he would get that talent to play championship level D.

 

[OrangeDW]

I’m backkkkkk

Go at that edfromsodus guy. He thinks you’re wrong.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

We’re getting hammered on recruiting for top tier guys because there’s a lot of negative talk about JB “not being here” for much longer, and who knows who will be the coach after he leaves. Tough to overcome because it’s basically true.

 

[longislandcuse]

I am convinced if you gave JB the Dike
Roster he would go further than I think it will under K this year.
Give JB talent and he would get that talent to play championship level D.

Might surprise people, given my takes on JB these past few years, but I actually agree.

Unfortunately for JB & staff, recruiting is a huge component of coaching, especially if you struggle at development.

 

[OrangeFoo]

I disagree that the 5 is that important in college hoops. I think the problem is our centers are literally in the bottom ten percent of college centers that the position has become a huge liability. If we could get an even average center, we would be fine.

I do agree on the 1... most important position in hoops and the game is littered with high quality 1s and we have struggled with finding an even average 1.

 

[longislandcuse]

I disagree that the 5 is that important in college hoops. I think the problem is our centers are literally in the bottom ten percent of college centers that the position has become a huge liability. If we could get an even average center, we would be fine.

I do agree on the 1... most important position in hoops and the game is littered with high quality 1s and we have struggled with finding an even average 1.

I think the 5 is important in that you CANNOT do what we’re doing. Essentially playing 4 on 5. Nobody does that anymore, except us. It’s quite honestly insane that this has gone on as long as it has.

I agree you don’t need elite talent at the 5, but youre sunk if you do what we have been doing in 2019.

Michigan constantly has guys with size, decent builds, decent hands who can step out and hit a jump shot and perform basic post functions. You need that.

It gives me hope that people say JBA can shoot it. I don’t care that he’s not Isaiah Stewart, we don’t necessarily need that, but we do need offensive competence out of the 5.

The 5 also can be run through to break down a defense if you don’t have blow by guards. The 1 & 5 are the two positions to do that through. We, of course, have neither.

 

[CaptainJ]

I disagree that the 5 is that important in college hoops. I think the problem is our centers are literally in the bottom ten percent of college centers that the position has become a huge liability. If we could get an even average center, we would be fine.

I do agree on the 1... most important position in hoops and the game is littered with high quality 1s and we have struggled with finding an even average 1.

The 2 best posts in this thread are from guys with "oo" in their names, lol.

 

[CaptainJ]

Go at that edfromsodus guy. He thinks you’re wrong.

Ha, I like it when some of the board members get coaching/prodding. We could use some more encouragement like that on here.

 

[SU Dreaming]

it's over - time to start over

 

[chugg21]

We’re getting hammered on recruiting for top tier guys because there’s a lot of negative talk about JB “not being here” for much longer, and who knows who will be the coach after he leaves. Tough to overcome because it’s basically true.

Hows that work when everyone knows he's here for at least 3 more. Any one worth recruiting shouldn't be planning on being around that long anyway.

 

[SBU72]

We’re getting hammered on recruiting for top tier guys because there’s a lot of negative talk about JB “not being here” for much longer, and who knows who will be the coach after he leaves. Tough to overcome because it’s basically true.

And you know this how? And what school actually have a transition plan? Most schools get new coaches without notice. There are a number of schools with older coaches ( like Duke and UNC), so is there negative talk because they may not be there much longer?

 

[OrlandoCuse]

Hows that work when everyone knows he's here for at least 3 more. Any one worth recruiting shouldn't be planning on being around that long anyway.

Do you really think that’s what other coaches are saying? They only need to place the seed of doubt in a young kid’s mind.