Recruiting strategy

[RF2044]

It is true, I do follow our recruiting far more than other teams, and I usually follow the top 100. I don't have a lot more time to waste with basketball. Haha.

I get it, I get what you're saying and what everybody else is. But I'm probably just not going to be convinced that we couldn't have done better at the backup center spot. If we strictly got him because of TB, I'll understand it a little more, but outside of that, ehhhh.

That's fair--but don't write him off. If he ends up being a two year backup, then it will be worth it. You need role players to round out a roster around more talented players. The only teams that recruit like UK and Duke are UK and Duke.

I wouldn't write off Obokoh just yet--he was redshirted for a reason.

 

[shermstheman]

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.

I think JB likes to gamble a bit on potential. If you are playing

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.

I think JB and staff like to gamble a bit. If you are playing 7 or 8 you've got extra schollies to play with. Why not gamble on a player who may be rough but exudes potential (like the NBA does)? There is a solid history of guys who become rotation players later in their careers...Kieta being a good example. If the gamble doesn't work out you've still got your regular rotation. Sorry if this already been discussed- too many post to sort through here.

 

[pearl31]

I wasn't a big BMK fan

shocking

 

[two3zone]

shocking

Averaged less than 3 points and 4 rebounds a game over his career. Never really improved from his first to fourth year.

Solid defensively, awful on offense, probably the most missed dunks in Syracuse history, and had probably the worst hands of a player that ever came through here.

You probably think he was better than Fab Melo.

 

[cusetown1]

I need another beer.

 

[RF2044]

Averaged less than 3 points and 4 rebounds a game over his career. Never really improved from his first to fourth year.

Solid defensively, awful on offense, probably the most missed dunks in Syracuse history, and had probably the worst hands of a player that ever came through here.

You probably think he was better than Fab Melo.

And yet, he was objectively key to the post-season turnaround that enabled the 2013 team to shake the February swoon and get to the final four. We went from having zero inside production to a modicum of it in the postseason, 99% of which came from Keita.

What's to like?

 

[syr14]

Rak was a 4 coming here and if DC was healthy last year and this year he'd probably be playing there a lot still. Fab was in the equation, he was here when DC signed and there was no indication that he wouldn't be here going forward either.

Once again, you're wrong. Christmas was one of the highest ranked centers in his class. Believe at least one site had him the #1 C in 2011.

 

[two3zone]

Once again, you're wrong. Christmas was one of the highest ranked centers in his class. Believe at least one site had him the #1 C in 2011.

So Rak was coming in to backup Melo? I like how you say "once again you're wrong". What am I wrong about? Did I make a prediction that wasn't correct? Am I known for saying things that are proven false? I don't think you like my opinions and are just trying to lie to make me wrong. Before you come in a thread spouting off that somebody is wrong you might want to check your facts.

Rak started at the 4 his freshman year while Melo played the 5 which is what he came here to play unless he planned on sitting 3 years behind Melo.

Oh, guess what position started at his sophomore year? Oh yeah, the 4 again.

Last year? You guessed it, the 4. If DC didn't go down and Melo went to class Rak probably never would have started a game at the 5.

 

[Janner]

There are a number of reasons we took Obokoh.
1. As others have mentioned you take a flyer on big men from time to time
2. Very close with Bryant
3. Depth at a difficult position never hurts
4. APR kid, was/is a good student and a solid charactor kid so its low risk as far as off the court issues are concerned.
5. JB's rotation is always 7-8 deep. If he's not good enough to make the rotation, as many in the past have not been, he will either transfer or get his degree and be a team guy that is a decent practice body.

 

[Sgt Cuse]

It appears Chino came here with the mental makeup of being able to accept a backup role, that is not an easy get. He is a good student, a semi-local recruit, should provide good glue guy chemistry, and will probably represent SU and the area well for the rest of his life.

A program run on only 1 or 2 and dones will have a lot of instability. SU is actually catching a little of that now.

It is way too early to write off Chino, he is being thrust into action well before anyone thought he would. There are a lot of examples of Chino's type that have paid off handsomely. Most recent is probably Cooney, who redshirted his first year.

 

[HoustonCuse]

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.

This doesn't make sense two3. All the positives you mention about Syracuse were achieved with the recruiting strategy you are saying isn't good enough for a program of this stature. That is a circular argument. Not every recruit is going to be a 5 star guy. Only Kentucky has ever done that, honestly and Duke has been close at times. Everybody else has to fill in a team with the best available players who also fit into their system, their values, their team make-up, etc. Wes Johnson was a cast off from an also ran in the state of Iowa, Hak Warrick was an emergency fill in when we struck out on a better recruit, Jonny Flynn was thought to be recruited only to get Paul Harris, etc.

The program is recruiting at a very high level right now and the players you are disparaging (Buss and Chino) are going to be key factors in the team's success going forward. It is especially strange to see you unhappy with Buss. The kid has saved a little bit of bacon for the program this year. He's not JJ Reddick, ok we get that, but he's been an important part of this team getting its feet under them and getting back to winning after a very rough start with a freshman PG.

 

[TBCuse11]

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.

my man, Chino or whoever would have been Chino wasnt expected to play this year. If Coleman was healthy as you have to assume he would be, the 3rd center on any team is not someone that plays. As for Buss, no one thought Ennis would leave. If Tyler is here, Buss MIGHT get 2 mins a game. As some have said, you can not recruit 10 one and done guys... only KU does that, and it doesnt always work.

If Buss wants to be a starter for someone, he should not have come here. There are plenty of Duquesne's and SW Missouri State's out there.

 

[TBCuse11]

And yet, he was objectively key to the post-season turnaround that enabled the 2013 team to shake the February swoon and get to the final four. We went from having zero inside production to a modicum of it in the postseason, 99% of which came from Keita.

What's to like?

we dont even sniff that Final 4 without Keita. Agree 100%.

 

[Jamesvillecuse]

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.

its not as dumb as the people who say "he gone"

 

[weepeel]

Paging bmk and Sutherland!

 

[SBU72]

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.

I think if you check most major colleges, you'll find a lot of soph and jr who are not playing significant minutes. Even a lot of Sr.

 

[KevMonstah]

Whatever reason that they went and got Obokoh, I just don't understand why an effort
wasn't made to get him on the court. He redshirted and got hosed by the NCAA at the
same time - maybe he gets that year back, maybe not - and he's been in the program for
a year and a half. JB is saying by his substitution patterns "I can't get a 6'9", 215lb backup
center developed enough over a year and a half, that he can't even get on the court"? All
while knowing since something like last February that Dajuan was extremely questionable
due to his knee surgery? This is at a position or two, C and PF, where he had a single known
quantity going into this year, plus an incoming freshman. Not a position like SF where there
are 3 guys who can play it, TWO positions, ONE proven guy. That's mind-boggling.

You have to recruit for depth, and Keita and Obokoh are probably what you want to chase,
guys who have some talent, but aren't 5* kids. That works for backups. And Keita played
probably to the best he could. I've no idea what Obokoh can do. Having the depth is good,
but not if you don't develop it. You could put any 6'9" stiff out there who could commit four
fouls in five minutes and grab one rebound, but maybe that's what 18 months in the program
gets them.

Kev

 

[jordoo]

This thread is really pretty comical. I mean ask a question, get the answers and then just continue to argue because you are unhappy about our deep rotation players. I get not being particularly pleased with a certain players production or readiness but in each case posters have answered the why's and what fors while also sighting past examples of players. None of this pleases the OP because apparently we should be able to point to 4 star kids and say:

"you are signing with SU to be our 3rd string center or forward or guard because we need to cover all our bases just in case. Perhaps when you are a Junior you will get your shot at being a rotational player."

This just doesn't make sense and even if you do not like the way we are recruiting its helped the program be very successful over the years and this is a slight hiccup before a reload year.

 

[TheLoonie]

"Come on man!"

Chino is a high academic kid who played with Bryant and was looked at as s bakup. Plus remember the staff expected him go have another season that the NCAA took away.

Sometimes guys don't become big time contributors. It happens everywhere.

If you read the recruiting board regularly you could educate yourself and not need to ask this every year.

This. Sometimes you just miss on guys. Recruiting can be a crapshoot. It's real easy to play Monday morning quarterback.

 

[two3zone]

This. Sometimes you just miss on guys. Recruiting can be a crapshoot. It's real easy to play Monday morning quarterback.

If Chinoso amounts to nothing more than say a glorified Matt Gormon who plays minutes by default would it really be considered a "recruiting miss"? I would call it as he delivered what was expected and it's not much. If he pans out, I'll be the first person to admit that I was wrong and be happy I'm wrong.

Jordoo, you mentioned a 4 star recruit sitting on the bench for a year or two before they got to play, that's simply not true, if we have multiple guys able to play the 4/5 he would have gotten time this year, next year, the year after without question.

 

[jordoo]

If Chinoso amounts to nothing more than say a glorified Matt Gormon who plays minutes by default would it really be considered a "recruiting miss"? I would call it as he delivered what was expected and it's not much. If he pans out, I'll be the first person to admit that I was wrong and be happy I'm wrong.

Jordoo, you mentioned a 4 star recruit sitting on the bench for a year or two before they got to play, that's simply not true, if we have multiple guys able to play the 4/5 he would have gotten time this year, next year, the year after without question.

My point is that you aren't going to be able to get those guys to come in as bench players just in case. Maybe once in a while but usually not that is why when you have one guy sitting out with a knee and another with a blown out knee you are down to an inexperienced project player like Chino. You can and we have had very highly rated guys who came in as backups but as 2nd stringers mostly. Not many teams go 10 deep with 4 and 5 star recruits.

 

[pearl31]

Averaged less than 3 points and 4 rebounds a game over his career. Never really improved from his first to fourth year.

Solid defensively, awful on offense, probably the most missed dunks in Syracuse history, and had probably the worst hands of a player that ever came through here.

You probably think he was better than Fab Melo.

As pointed out, you really don't get it.

 

[two3zone]

As pointed out, you really don't get it.

Way to add to the discussion, wouldn't expect anything less from ya

 

[pearl31]

Way to add to the discussion, wouldn't expect anything less from ya

 

[Shenexon]

Once again, you're wrong. Christmas was one of the highest ranked centers in his class. Believe at least one site had him the #1 C in 2011.

I loved taking him from Georgetown. He's demonstrating his potential and doing his part to carry the team.