Recruiting strategy

[two3zone]

I made a topic similar to this a couple of seasons ago and was figuring I'd bring it up again and see where people stand on this.

I'm sure people are going to assume this is a topic about recruiting athletes instead of basketball players, but it's not. My question is the guys we're recruiting and why.

I'm not slighting the guys I'm going to mention one bit but more questioning why they're here.

First one is Chinoso. I'm not really understanding why we offered him to begin with. Obviously it's for depth at the 5 but I mean there was not one other center that would have been game ready two or three years before Chin? I find that hard to believe. Coming in everybody knew that he wasn't going to be ready until his jr or sr year and that was even with redshirting. So I ask again, we can't find somebody more advanced? I don't buy it one bit and am just trying to figure out why. It's not playing time because our centers usually share a lot if minutes at the 5 with their backup. It's just mind boggling to me that we couldn't find a guy who could step in and be at least serviceable.

Next guy I wonder about is Buss. Coming in he had question marks, and we recruited over him the first year he was here. Usually in cases like this where you recruit somebody at a position that's full it's a "wait your turn" type thing, why are we recruiting guys that are forever reserves? Buss is getting some run now and I'm sure it will continue next year, but Kaleb's running the offense a lot better than he was earlier in the season and only improving. I can't foresee Buss playing ahead of Richardson and with the way Buss has shot the past two years can't imagine Howard being too far behind him either. If Ron stays for four this might be the only year he sees double digit minutes.

I guess my point being is why are we giving 4 year scholarships to guys that really are going to have no shot at contributing for 4 years, maybe not even 3. I like to think that we're a school that doesn't have to do that. I know we don't recruit heavy outside the northeast, I'm sure that has a little to do with it as the recruiting pool is going to be obviously smaller. Does this change when Hopkins takes over? Do we start recruiting nationally? Do we actually pursue the one and doners harder?

 

[Eagles20]

When you are a coach who prefers to play only 7 or 8 guy rotations your next few guys better be program guys.

 

[RF2044]

You don't understand why we recruited Obokoh?

Really?

And are you suggesting that Buss isn't contributing now [as opposed to in year 3 or 4]? Last time I looked, he was part of the rotation and finishing several games.

 

[Orange2389]

We recruit for the system, not necessarily the caliber of the recruit. Also, Syracuse has to chase recruits whereas a Kentucky or Duke pick the best available. I hope when Hop takes over he changes the approach and makes Syracuse a national destination instead of just a northeast one. Duke gave us G and Buss couldn't make it at Indiana. You do the math.

 

[RF2044]

We recruit for the system, not necessarily the caliber of the recruit. Also, Syracuse has to chase recruits whereas a Kentucky or Duke pick the best available. I hope when Hop takes over he changes the approach and makes Syracuse a national destination instead of just a northeast one. Duke gave us G and Buss couldn't make it at Indiana. You do the math.

Your post lapses beyond lack of perspective, straight into lunacy.

Which is a polite way of pointing out that there is zero in it that "assessment" that is analytically factual.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Do we start recruiting nationally?

Big guys usually take longer so you take chances on guys like Chino. Plus he was teammates with Bryant. Never hurts. Maybe Chino turns into a 1st rounder like Flynn.

I think JAB has done pretty well with the Northeast/Philly/Baltimore/DC as his priority. Many kids don't want to be more than six hours from home. Of course there are some exceptions. Here are a few from the last ten years that were further outside that range: Patterson, Fab Melo, Keita, Wes Johnson, Onganet, Sean Williams, Devo and Josh Pace. Plus don't forget guys like Stevie Thompson, DC, Todd Burgan, Mike Hopkins and the other California kids. I don't think JAB is opposed to recruiting nationally.

 

[two3zone]

You don't understand why we recruited Obokoh? Really? And are you suggesting that Buss isn't contributing now [as opposed to in year 3 or 4]? Last time I looked, he was part of the rotation and finishing several games.

Yeah, why did we recruit Obokoh?

 

[two3zone]

Big guys usually take longer so you take chances on guys like Chino. Plus he was teammates with Bryant. Never hurts. Maybe Chino turns into a 1st rounder like Flynn. I think JAB has done pretty well with the Northeast/Philly/Baltimore/DC as his priority. Many kids don't want to be more than six hours from home. Of course there are some exceptions. Here are a few from the last ten years that were further outside that range: Patterson, Fab Melo, Keita, Wes Johnson, Onganet, Sean Williams, Devo and Josh Pace. Plus don't forget guys like Stevie Thompson, DC, Todd Burgan, Mike Hopkins and the other California kids. I don't think JAB is opposed to recruiting nationally.

I don't think he's opposed to it either, but it's not difficult to say that he is mainly recruiting from the north east.

 

[RF2044]

Yeah, why did we recruit Obokoh?

C'mon. Oh Lord

 

[two3zone]

You don't understand why we recruited Obokoh? Really? And are you suggesting that Buss isn't contributing now [as opposed to in year 3 or 4]? Last time I looked, he was part of the rotation and finishing several games.

He's part of the rotation and he's finishing games because there is nobody else. He's shooting 25% from the field and even worse from 3. I don't care how good your defense is if you want to be a top 10 team you don't have guys that shoot that poorly as major contributors.

 

[Eagles20]

Yeah, why did we recruit Obokoh?

Need guys who will graduate to keep the numbers up. Plus maybe he grows into something during those 4 years. I'm half kidding

 

[two3zone]

C'mon. Oh Lord

I'm serious. He was a 2-3 year project coming in, why couldn't we find somebody that was more refined?

This is the second time I've asked the question and you just keep making a one word comment trying to make me look dumb, I'm curious to why we would recruit a player like that.

 

[RF2044]

He's part of the rotation and he's finishing games because there is nobody else. He's shooting 25% from the field and even worse from 3. I don't care how good your defense is if you want to be a top 10 team you don't have guys that shoot that poorly as major contributors.

BS. He's finishing games ahead of the starter.

He isn't shooting well, I'll grant you that. You didn't make the argument above that it was about offensive performance--you said guys who weren't contributors, depending on game circumstances. Well, Buss is a top 7 contributor who is often playing about 50% of the game. Now, he might have been recruited over--time will tell. Or maybe the experience he's gaining will give him the leg up over Howard / Richardson. But it is inaccurate to say that he isn't a contributor, or to suggest that he is not contributing caliber. JB doesn't play guys who can't contribute. Never has, never well--regardless of depth.

 

[Eagles20]

He's part of the rotation and he's finishing games because there is nobody else. He's shooting 25% from the field and even worse from 3. I don't care how good your defense is if you want to be a top 10 team you don't have guys that shoot that poorly as major contributors.

He's not a major contributor, he's a role player like 70 percent of the team. Outside of G,cooney, and christmas everyone else on this team is a role player

 

[RF2044]

I'm serious. He was a 2-3 year project coming in, why couldn't we find somebody that was more refined?

This is the second time I've asked the question and you just keep making a one word comment trying to make me look dumb, I'm curious to why we would recruit a player like that.

I'm not trying to make you look dumb. But this has been covered--extensively--on both the hoops and hoops recruiting forums. It isn't that difficult to understand what the main reason was that we pursued him--and it has very little to do with his ability on the court. You've been posting in threads about this tonight, so again--c'mon.

And there were secondary reasons, such as he was a pretty good athlete in our backyard, and there is value in four year / program guy bigs. He's raw, that's his main issue.

 

[syr14]

I'm serious. He was a 2-3 year project coming in, why couldn't we find somebody that was more refined?

This is the second time I've asked the question and you just keep making a one word comment trying to make me look dumb, I'm curious to why we would recruit a player like that.

Same reason we recruit a Baye Keita. Someone who will play 4 years and be a glue guy. He wasn't supposed to be pressed into action this early.

No offense but this is a dumb thread.

 

[two3zone]

I'm not trying to make you look dumb. But this has been covered--extensively--on both the hoops and hoops recruiting forums. It isn't that difficult to understand why we pursued him--and it has very little to do with his ability on the court. You've been posting in threads about this tonight, so again--c'mon.

I go to the recruiting forum every once in awhile and am always over here and haven't seen why he was recruited. I'm not sure if you're insinuating that he is here so we can possibly land Bryant. I surely hope that isn't the case, if it isn't I really don't know why he's here. I'm sure he's a nice kid and all but he's just not at this level.

 

[Eagles20]

Same reason we recruit a Baye Keita. Someone who will play 4 years and be a glue guy. He wasn't supposed to be pressed into action this early.

No offense but this is a dumb thread.

I thought Keita looked better than advertised from day 1. Not offensively, but definitely defensively and from a speed standpoint. I still remember the first scrimmage where he was beating guy down the floor like a gazelle. I don't get that impression of chino

 

[TheCusian]

I made a topic similar to this a couple of seasons ago and was figuring I'd bring it up again and see where people stand on this. I'm sure people are going to assume this is a topic about recruiting athletes instead of basketball players, but it's not. My question is the guys we're recruiting and why. I'm not slighting the guys I'm going to mention one bit but more questioning why they're here. First one is Chinoso. I'm not really understanding why we offered him to begin with. Obviously it's for depth at the 5 but I mean there was not one other center that would have been game ready two or three years before Chin? I find that hard to believe. Coming in everybody knew that he wasn't going to be ready until his jr or sr year and that was even with redshirting. So I ask again, we can't find somebody more advanced? I don't buy it one bit and am just trying to figure out why. It's not playing time because our centers usually share a lot if minutes at the 5 with their backup. It's just mind boggling to me that we couldn't find a guy who could step in and be at least serviceable. Next guy I wonder about is Buss. Coming in he had question marks, and we recruited over him the first year he was here. Usually in cases like this where you recruit somebody at a position that's full it's a "wait your turn" type thing, why are we recruiting guys that are forever reserves? Buss is getting some run now and I'm sure it will continue next year, but Kaleb's running the offense a lot better than he was earlier in the season and only improving. I can't foresee Buss playing ahead of Richardson and with the way Buss has shot the past two years can't imagine Howard being too far behind him either. If Ron stays for four this might be the only year he sees double digit minutes. I guess my point being is why are we giving 4 year scholarships to guys that really are going to have no shot at contributing for 4 years, maybe not even 3. I like to think that we're a school that doesn't have to do that. I know we don't recruit heavy outside the northeast, I'm sure that has a little to do with it as the recruiting pool is going to be obviously smaller. Does this change when Hopkins takes over? Do we start recruiting nationally? Do we actually pursue the one and doners harder?

Depth.

 

[TheCusian]

He's not a major contributor, he's a role player like 70 percent of the team. Outside of G,cooney, and christmas everyone else on this team is a role player

You just described every team.

 

[two3zone]

Same reason we recruit a Baye Keita. Someone who will play 4 years and be a glue guy. He wasn't supposed to be pressed into action this early. No offense but this is a dumb thread.

So Syracuse University basketball, multiple championship contenders, numerous #1 rankings, HOF coach with 900+ wins, largest on campus facility in the country, and were giving scholarships to 4 year glue guys that aren't ready after a year in a half and may never be ready.

You may think this thread is dumb but I think a school with the prestige that we have and the advantages we have is dumb to give scholarships to non factors.

 

[RF2044]

I go to the recruiting forum every once in awhile and am always over here and haven't seen why he was recruited. I'm not sure if you're insinuating that he is here so we can possibly land Bryant. I surely hope that isn't the case, if it isn't I really don't know why he's here. I'm sure he's a nice kid and all but he's just not at this level.

Two things. It absolutely was about Bryant. And it wasn't "so we can possibly land." We are in great shape in that recruiting battle, despite what some would have you believe. If we end up landing the #16 recruit who is a center, and the cost is using a scholarship on Obokoh--then disco. This was a recruit to build relations, and also to bring a four year backup into the program. We just had solid success with a similar four year prospect in Keita. Not comparing the games, but similar situations.

Obokoh may not pan out. But the logic was sound. And if there's one thing that has been consistently demonstrated over the years, its that this forum traditionally sucks at projecting players' developmental curves.

 

[two3zone]

I thought Keita looked better than advertised from day 1. Not offensively, but definitely defensively and from a speed standpoint. I still remember the first scrimmage where he was beating guy down the floor like a gazelle. I don't get that impression of chino

I wasn't a big BMK fan but holy hell could he get down the court.

 

[Brooky03]

Obokoh: Center is the one position in college athletics with the least depth (PG is a close second). Seriously, go look at other teams and let me know how many underclassmen backup centers don't suck. You have to remember that we were recruiting a Center that wasn't supposed to be 2nd on the depth chart until his Junior year, if that. You don't get quality Centers to come in and wait 3 years just to get 10mpg.

Patterson: Patterson was a stop-gap that basically fell into our lap. He's getting the job done and I can't think of an alternative player who would be producing at a much better level right now. The alternative very well could have been not landing any guard.

 

[RF2044]

So Syracuse University basketball, multiple championship contenders, numerous #1 rankings, HOF coach with 900+ wins, largest on campus facility in the country, and were giving scholarships to 4 year glue guys that aren't ready after a year in a half and may never be ready.

You may think this thread is dumb but I think a school with the prestige that we have and the advantages we have is dumb to give scholarships to non factors.

May never be ready, or alternatively might be a solid backup for two years. There's value in that.

We tried to get Dakari Johnson, btw--but didn't land him. And despite the recent uptick in recruiting, I maintain that our basic formula is still the same--JB recruits program guys, and supplements them with higher rated guys. The combination has been very successful for us of late [even though we've had more early entrants of late, that doesn't change the "system"].