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[BillSU]

basketball with the big boys:

We cannot afford to recruit high school players. I am repeating Pitino’s words here, but I totally agree with him. High school players will never, even the best of them, be able to outplay or stay even with the Portal /NIL players. That future is now.

You have to find $ AW, sit with the portal players you need and want and get them signed. Additionally, you have to get them to sign a contract that guarantees you and them, 2 years if they have that, to play so they cannot go elsewhere.

Everything comes from the portal, everything. Recruit the best you can to have backups of course but to be in the Dance you have to begin this new era of playing basketball with good, experienced players. Essentially pre – professionals. It’s what college basketball is now, or you will not be able to compete, only complain about bad coaching – it is not coaching, it is better players from the portal that is making the difference in basketball from now on.

Ask Eric Dickerson’s SMU boosters how much money they put in his pocket to play for SMU back in the 80’s.

It is what it is.

 

[newmexicuse]

With all due respect, I have to disagree.

I think it is necessary to have a blend of portal players and HS players. Freeman probably would have been our best player by the end of the season if not for injury. Duke and Kentucky had consistent Top Five teams just by loading up with HS AAs for many seasons. We will never recruit at that high a level, but it doesnt mean we cant get some HS kids who can play from day 1.

Also. what is wrong with recruiting a HS kid who is talented and get his feet wet in the rotation and the system ? A talented enough kid could even be starting caliber on a solid team.

I love the class we have coming in, but that is only four guys. Get six to eight more from the portal including 3 or 4 starting caliber players and mix em together. Wish I could say we had three or four returnees that I would like to blend in, but truthfully I dont see anybody who is irreplaceable on a NCAA tournament grade team and that should be the absolute minimum goal we should shoot for next season. Maybe after next season we can worry about returnees.

As for Red, well most of the criticism is deserved, but the tea leaves seem to be saying he gets another season. So, lets at least get him some decent cards to play with see if maybe he can grow into the job.

 

[Brooky03]

It’s a mix. There are guys from high school who put the hardest working, multi-season starting, upperclassmen in a blender. Pitino has his reasons for saying what he said. I suspect he’s not being 100% genuine. He’s a salesman. He’s selling.

If you can recruit legitimate talent out of high school, you’re going to do well mixing that in with some seasoned guys.

 

[Forloveoforange]

Well, it does make sense, when you are choosing now from everyone, that you don't choose the inexperienced.

 

[bnoro]

basketball with the big boys:

We cannot afford to recruit high school players. I am repeating Pitino’s words here, but I totally agree with him. High school players will never, even the best of them, be able to outplay or stay even with the Portal /NIL players. That future is now.

You have to find $ AW, sit with the portal players you need and want and get them signed. Additionally, you have to get them to sign a contract that guarantees you and them, 2 years if they have that, to play so they cannot go elsewhere.

Everything comes from the portal, everything. Recruit the best you can to have backups of course but to be in the Dance you have to begin this new era of playing basketball with good, experienced players. Essentially pre – professionals. It’s what college basketball is now, or you will not be able to compete, only complain about bad coaching – it is not coaching, it is better players from the portal that is making the difference in basketball from now on.

Ask Eric Dickerson’s SMU boosters how much money they put in his pocket to play for SMU back in the 80’s.

It is what it is.

You've taken Pitino's quote out of context. He was strictly referring to his team next year because of what they are returning. This is not a sustainable way for us to build a basketball team back to respectability.

 

[longtimefan]

You've taken Pitino's quote out of context. He was strictly referring to his team next year because of what they are returning. This is not a sustainable way for us to build a basketball team back to respectability.

We are in pretty mu h the same situation vis-a-vis next season. Our starting lineup is the 4 portal guys who will all be gone next season and JJ, who may be. Plus McLeod is gone.

So we have, potentially, JJ, Bell, Cuffe, Westry, Moore, and Petar. I don't expect all of them to return. Then there are the 4 freshmen. It's about 50-50 that we have 6 players. I expect they will have to bring in at least 4 from the portal. So that's at least 8 new players. So, short-term, we are in the same situation as St John's.

 

[bnoro]

We are in pretty mu h the same situation vis-a-vis next season. Our starting lineup is the 4 portal guys who will all be gone next season and JJ, who may be. Plus McLeod is gone.

So we have, potentially, JJ, Bell, Cuffe, Westry, Moore, and Petar. I don't expect all of them to return. Then there are the 4 freshmen. It's about 50-50 that we have 6 players. I expect they will have to bring in at least 4 from the portal. So that's at least 8 new players. So, short-term, we are in the same situation as St John's.

We're in the same situation as St. Johns besides their players being good and our players being bad.

 

[721Comstock]

We're in the same situation as St. Johns besides their players being good and our players being bad.

And their coach being good and ours being bad.

But otherwise - identical!

 

[rocklloyd]

I hate what the only really sport and team I‘ve followed for last 40 years has become.