Class of 2017 SG/SF Jordan Tucker (NY / GA) Leaving Duke to Butler

[Briancuse]

Ok?? Why did we back off and what does that have to do with our current recruitment if him?

I don't know, I heard something, not sure if its true or not, but backing off a kid could be the difference in landing him or not.

 

[HoustonCuse]

Ok?? Why did we back off and what does that have to do with our current recruitment if him?

My post on the previous is page is too long an nobody will read it, but if we get JT and he turns out to be Deshaun Williams II, then a lot of people will have to change their tone about the staff's decision making. Of course at this point, if Kim Jong-Un had a nice jumper many of you would be calling him the next must get recruit.

 

[PauliePeppas]

Well if Tucker did do something bad how can he be mad at the staff or hold it against them? Hes the one who goofed "alllegedly"

 

[hungrychuck]

NK Press reporting he shoots 100% from beyond the 3 pt line.

Nah, fortunately his range is still pretty limited.

 

[Trueblue25]

SJU?

St johns university. Not an insult or about talent. Just the vibe i get from our recruiting/fan interactions. Making comparisons between old big east relationships to new ACC ones.

 

[Fly Rodder]

My post on the previous is page is too long an nobody will read it, but if we get JT and he turns out to be Deshaun Williams II, then a lot of people will have to change their tone about the staff's decision making. Of course at this point, if Kim Jong-Un had a nice jumper many of you would be calling him the next must get recruit.

Right now beggars can't be choosers. SU has had too many misses in recruiting combined with poor roster management and sanctions. They're barely treading water right now and need to fill a lot of holes. Tucker is one of the best recruits left for 2017 that SU has a shot at and he may very well turn out to be a poor player, but there aren't too many more choices that I know of.

 

[RF2044]

RF, I want to ask you about this sentence. I understand it from the perspective that we currently have much to offer and in that case, we'd like to believe we could beat out a lower tier ACC team for a recruit. I definitely get that. But "face some hard realities out the current state of our recruiting." I'd like to hear/discuss more about that. What specifically would that look like and what does it mean? These are valid discussion points. Let's assume that we lose out on JT. What does it mean about our recruiting? Does it form a trend when combined with Green? I know emotionally that we would feel that way, but is it true?

On the one hand, it can be interpreted as a failure to close on recruits. (We can debate what that means and how/why we are failing and how/what should be done to do better)
On the other hand, it could be just two cases of us getting beat out by things not under our control (ego/the Calipari machine for Green and the location of GT in the case of Tucker)

I understand that in both of these recruitments, hindsight will be available to blame the staff for poor decisions. In the case of Green - not keeping options open with other top PGs and in the case of Tucker - not backing off of him for an extended period.
However, it is possible that these decisions were not critical factors in the recruitments and/or could still have been correct decisions even though we still lost the players in the end. Alternatively, we could have, for instance in the case of Green - better recognized that he was a "flight risk" and pressured him more with Coleman or another player and that could have forced him out the door and we still lose Coleman. What I'm getting at is that we simply will never know those answers. The decisions made by the staff could have been really and obviously terrible, or they could have put us in the best posture to win, we just didn't. As I've said previously, I am inclined to give the staff the benefit of the doubt since I have 0.5% of the relevant information, but I certainly acknowledge they could have fumbled it. In the case of Tucker - if we get him and he turns out to be the second coming of Deshaun Williams - crushing the team's potential (by generating bad headlines/locker room trouble/suspensions/etc) thus validating that backing off was the correct decision after all - would we consider re-engaging with him a recruiting error?

Another possibility is that it is not the recruiting strategy/technique that is the problem, but rather the entire program. Is there something visible or invisible to us that is making Syracuse less desirable as a place to play than it was a couple years ago? JB's status would be a factor there, Hop's departure, facilities, mediocre regular season performance in the past 2-3 years, program brand stained by NCAA penalties? I suspect that these are not huge factors because we have essentially been finalists with a lot of top prospects, just didn't get the final win. If there was something rotten in the core of the program, I don't know why so many high level prospects would keep us on their lists for so long - after many cutdowns, and in the case of QG and JT in the final two.

Approach, strategy, level of effort on the recruiting trail, JB's impending retirement, the composition of the staff relative to recruiting, poor roster management, etc. are all things that need to be critically evaluated, IMO. The line from your post I've highlighted above is an astute question -- would make for some interesting discussion.

Especially in light of our inability to date to fill the class of 2017, not to mention fill several critical holes on our roster. The class of 2017 is still being constructed--I get that. And maybe in a week, we're sitting here with Ayala / Tucker / Wilson or Hughes, and feeling pretty good about things. But we've got a long way to go before those things fall into place.

 

[ATLien]

The city of Atlanta is vastly different than the state of Georgia. They are almost 2 different worlds. In the city, Georgia Tech has a lot of support from the businesses, people, and rappers. But the only other place you see GT is in the big houses in the suburbs...that's it. Once you leave the city, and go into the country, its all uga everywhere you go.

 

[Deano]

You don't spend years chasing someone, then give him a deadline. Like Tyus Battle, Quade had all the leverage since the staff was all in on him before he blew up.

If he was that sure he was coming to SU why didn't he commit then? The staff got played badly in that one.

 

[Briancuse]

If he was that sure he was coming to SU why didn't he commit then? The staff got played badly in that one.

When was the last time we had a recruit commit during his visit? Other than Gillon last year.

 

[Tobias Funke]

For the record the Weather is going to be really nasty today in Atlanta.

The weather has been unbelievable the last few weeks though. With him living here I doubt rain for his visit changes anything.

 

[cuseinseattle]

You don't spend years chasing someone, then give him a deadline. Like Tyus Battle, Quade had all the leverage since the staff was all in on him before he blew up.

Yes you do. It's not called a deadline though. It's called exploring your options. I'm a commercial real estate broker and just yesterday I closed a restaurant deal we really wanted to do. They kept pushing more and more and I had to say, "Look this is the deal. Take it or leave it but there is no more. Either you do it or you don't. We want you in the property as an operator but we have to move on if you aren't comfortable with the deal." They then said we understand and we will do it after staring at me for about 15 minutes. The reality is that is the only way to do this. I wanted to do the deal but I couldn't just let it go on forever. There would have been another operator down the road and the reality is that I had to run another group through before this to get them to focus. That is how it works. We should never have canceled Coleman's visit and we should have been on Washington harder before he committed to Minny. If that operator had called me when he found out about my second tour and ran back to the space and then not signed the lease. I wouldn't have just sat around for 90 days waiting for the signature.

 

[Jasoncuse]

This is big for Gmac.

Why? I think this is JB's guy, which was obvious the minute Hop left. Don't blame GMac if JT goes to Tech, but I think JB deserves the credit if he comes to SU, with the assist to Gmac.

 

[Deano]

When was the last time we had a recruit commit during his visit? Other than Gillon last year.

He visited numerous times and told them he was coming. If he kept telling them this then why didn't he commit??

 

[jordoo]

He visited numerous times and told them he was coming. If he kept telling them this then why didn't he commit??

That is exactly the type of situation you give a deadline to. Hey you have 10 days or we offer X who really wants to come here.

 

[Alsacs]

Why? I think this is JB's guy, which was obvious the minute Hop left. Don't blame GMac if JT goes to Tech, but I think JB deserves the credit if he comes to SU, with the assist to Gmac.

I have been hard on GMac but if Tucker comes he gets the win. IMO.
He did all the work before we turned away and reached out when JB became interested in him again.

I would say give GMac the win. Just to alleviate people who are worried about him.

 

[Day2]

Just a hunch, but the only reason I see him visiting Georgia tech for an unofficial visit during a weekday is to commit to them . Could be 100% wrong but that's the feeling I get.

That's a possibility, but according to the interview from yesterday, he's announcing at the end of next week.

 

[ATLien]

On set at TNT studios right now

 

[orangefog]

On set at TNT studios right now

Is he chilling with Chuck?

 

[Cuse9292]

On set at TNT studios right now

So what do your inside sources say? If you're going to come back to the board you might as well be useful, even if the info turns out to be wrong it's always fun to hear and to be honest I think you do have more knowledge of the situation then others give you credit for.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I'm pretty sure his dad isn't going to play basketball anywhere. He needs to make his own decision

Yeah, but the dad would get to act like a big shot if his son goes to Tech and is the star player.

 

[jsshap]

I agree - this kid seems to represent most, if not everything, I hate with this current process. MIlking his 5 minutes

Folks who get upset at kids for making decisions that are best for them and on the timetable that is best for them represents most, but not everything, that I find maddening about this board.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Because its his fault that Quade was fishing for Duke and UK offers and even when he had the UK offer, he silently verballed to SU even so much as showing up to campus unofficially the week before he flipped.

No, it's not his fault that a kid picked another school. That happens.

It's his fault, or the program's fault, for letting Quade string us along and not requiring a commitment from him at least by mid-October, so we would have had an opportunity to get someone else.

Chasing away other guys who were interested in us, and then letting our main target delay his decision until AFTER the signing period was over, screwed us. It screwed us getting any of the kids who Quade was trying to get together as a group. It screwed us getting a replacement.

The whole timing and lack of deadline is what was totally amateur about how this recruitment was handled. It's a business. Give the kid a deadline before it's too late for you to get anyone else.\

This isn't that hard, people, and we apparently didn't know how to do that.

 

[IthacaMatt]

You don't spend years chasing someone, then give him a deadline. Like Tyus Battle, Quade had all the leverage since the staff was all in on him before he blew up.

Of course you do, if they haven't given you a commitment. I take it you never worked in sales.

 

[Ryand877]

Of course you do, if they haven't given you a commitment. I take it you never worked in sales.

Agree. This is similar to sales. Always need to create a sense of urgency.