Why didn't we offer Huerter for 2017

[pfister1]

It is amazing how little about the recruiting process some of you really understand.

Comments here reflect that some of you have zero appreciation for the timing involved in the process. You actually have to have (1) a need, (2) an available scholarship and (3) have been involved with a kid at the time that he makes his decision. If any of those three things are missing at the time the kid is ready to commit you don't get him.

It's been well documented that Huerter was a victim of timing. Looking back sure he'd have helped, but we didn't have a scholly available at the time he was ready to decide. The sanctions sucked.

 

[Waltdods]

People vastly underestimate how much of this comes down to luck. Syracuse's recruiting has been pretty steady for 15 years, but the results have varied considerably because the kids have varied considerably. (Though the scholarship reductions make the cost of misses much higher.)

To step away from the immediate past, consider the mid-aughts teams. The '03 recruiting class (Nichols, Watkins, Roberts, McCroskey) was highly recruited and a major disappointment. (Though Nichols' senior year was awesome, and consistently underrated). It was followed by perhaps the most disappointing class in Cuse history - the pair of Wrights. Not surprisingly, the team really struggled for the years it was digesting those two classes. The next year was the Devendorf, Rautins, Onuaku class, one that looked only okay on paper but eventually turned out to be the building blocks of the team's rebirth. After yet another letdown of a class (the Paul Harris class), there was then a run of very successful groups, peaking with the awesome 2010 class (Fair, Melo, Waiters, Keita).

Moving into the recent years, what we've really seen is a sort of repeat of what happened a decade earlier. A big, highly-touted '13 class mostly disappoints (albeit in a somewhat different way than the '03 class). It's followed by a '14 class that is a complete bust (McC and Joseph). The last couple years have been better recruiting-wise, but hampered by scholarship limits and at least one early departure.

 

[Day2]

Top 50 isnt too impressive when you strive to be a top 10 or 20 program. 1 or 2 players make the difference. Why are we being out recruited by UW? A fired coach.

Delete your account.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Great find. Some bigtime names on that list. Of course, we wound up getting Owens the following year, so yeah, not the end of the world.

That's why I laugh at people who don't embrace the internet. I loved that article. It's absolutely timeless and as you mentioned we did ok with Billy Owens who the author did a poor job not mentioning. So we now we need to find out if any of our football players have a top ranked brother.

 

[OttoMets]

Yeah I was counting Fab/MCW/Dion. We really only got one great year out of them each.

The rest of those core guys Joseph/Triche/Scoop/Fair/Southerland/Rautins were back end top 100 to 3 star guys.

It really kills is that we have been disposing guys so quickly the past couple years IMO.

Bingo.

When you run off an Autry or a Sims after crappy early returns you don't get 1994 and 1996. When the coaching staff wants to conduct one-year try-outs for a bunch of program guys they recruited, we end up with this season and next season. It's a vicious cycle. Regardless of the quality of recruit coming into the program (it could stand to improve), the staff has to keep kids here for four years and coach them up. (Obviously the players share this responsibility.)

 

[OttoMets]

Top 50 isnt too impressive when you strive to be a top 10 or 20 program. 1 or 2 players make the difference. Why are we being out recruited by UW? A fired coach.

Don't know why this has earned you personal attacks... isn't it self-evident?

How many Top-50 factors have to add up before the Top-20 program isn't Top-20 anymore? If SU's basketball team is to be great, its recruiting ought to be great.

 

[OttoMets]

BJ is the one guy who had talent for the ACC. The only other guys to transfer out were Patterson and Obokoh. Is anyone convinced they could have helped.

The entire BJ think was messed up from day one. No matter who's fault it was (the coaches or his dad) he should have redshirted his freshman year. He would have been a good four year guy.

Given what's transpired since, it's a virtual certainty that Patterson would've played 20 minutes a game this season. And given the guard play we experienced for long stretches, that might've represented an improvement.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Top 50 isnt too impressive when you strive to be a top 10 or 20 program. 1 or 2 players make the difference. Why are we being out recruited by UW? A fired coach.

As I've gotten older, one of the things I've learned is that sustaining excellence over a long period of time is one of the hardest things to do.

It requires that you bring your A+ game over and over and over again...and that you never let up...

And the more cutthroat the competition, the harder it is.

College hoops is brutally competitive so sustained success over a long period of time is just that much harder...

I'm just curious whether guys like you and Two3Zone and We are Syracuse and others who seem to be so hyper-critical hold yourselves to that same brutally high standard in your own lives that you hold this program to?

I know that my own personal success pales in comparison to what JB has accomplished with this program over the last 40 years and I marvel at what he has done - which is why I take the ups and downs of the program (wins/losses, recruiting, tourney success etc..) in stride...

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

As I've gotten older, one of the things I've learned is that sustaining excellence over a long period of time is one of the hardest things to do.

It requires that you bring your A+ game over and over and over again...and that you never let up...

And the more cutthroat the competition, the harder it is.

College hoops is brutally competitive so sustained success over a long period of time is just that much harder...

I'm just curious whether guys like you and Two3Zone and We are Syracuse and others who seem to be so hyper-critical hold yourselves to that same brutally high standard in your own lives that you hold this program to?

I know that my own personal success pales in comparison to what JB has accomplished with this program over the last 40 years and I marvel at what he has done - which is why I take the ups and downs of the program (wins/losses, recruiting, tourney success etc..) in stride...

Great post. When we have a down season (part of being in a brutal conference) we are a bubble team. We don't have losing seasons. Oklahoma was in the Final Four last year and were terrible this year. 11-20. Texas is terrible. 11-22. Michigan State had their best class ever and finished 19-14. Washington won 9 games with maybe the top pick in the NBA draft. Indiana was an NIT team after winning the Big 10 last year and making the Sweet 16. Florida missed the NCAA tournament the last 2 years. Even Kentucky was in the NIT a few years back. Ohio State NIT last 2 years. UCLA had a losing record last year. Arizona had a couple of NIT's under Sean Miller. It's not easy to win consistently,

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Great post. When we have a down season (part of being in a brutal conference) we are a bubble team. We don't have losing seasons. Oklahoma was in the Final Four last year and were terrible this year. 11-20. Texas is terrible. 11-22. Michigan State had their best class ever and finished 19-14. Washington won 9 games with maybe the top pick in the NBA draft. Indiana was an NIT team after winning the Big 10 last year and making the Sweet 16. Florida missed the NCAA tournament the last 2 years. Even Kentucky was in the NIT a few years back. Ohio State NIT last 2 years. UCLA had a losing record last year. Arizona had a couple of NIT's under Sean Miller. It's not easy to win consistently,

No doubt. No matter how blue-blooded your program is, you get the wrong guy and it can fall apart really fast - as Carolina found out with Doherty or as Kentucky found out with Gillespie...

It is the coach, not the program, that gives the best shot at long-term success...

 

[Cusefan0307]

You can't get every player, but I hate when we lose guys from upstate. There's solid basketball talent here. I really hope we can make moves with Wright and Policelli!

 

[OrangeDW]

Don't know why this has earned you personal attacks... isn't it self-evident?

How many Top-50 factors have to add up before the Top-20 program isn't Top-20 anymore? If SU's basketball team is to be great, its recruiting ought to be great.

Because he's blaming the few good recruits that have actually been good players.

The problem is Obokoh, Patterson, Johnson(he's good but for someone else), Joseph, and Howard. 5 guys who eligibility wise should be our upperclassmen that we didn't/haven't gotten squat out of.

 

[OrangeDW]

Great post. When we have a down season (part of being in a brutal conference) we are a bubble team. We don't have losing seasons. Oklahoma was in the Final Four last year and were terrible this year. 11-20. Texas is terrible. 11-22. Michigan State had their best class ever and finished 19-14. Washington won 9 games with maybe the top pick in the NBA draft. Indiana was an NIT team after winning the Big 10 last year and making the Sweet 16. Florida missed the NCAA tournament the last 2 years. Even Kentucky was in the NIT a few years back. Ohio State NIT last 2 years. UCLA had a losing record last year. Arizona had a couple of NIT's under Sean Miller. It's not easy to win consistently,

When Jimmy is gone and we eventually have a horrid season like that, some of those guys might appreciate what we had.

UNC went 8-20 with Doherty. Duke had an 8-20 season in '95 when Coach K was out.

Boeheim flat out knows how to bring home W's.

 

[HtownOrange]

Here is a great article from 30 years ago that talks about Syracuse losing out on top recruits. Every Syracuse fan needs to read this and this same article could be written about every top program. You just don't nail it 100% of the time. Look at the NBA and NFL draft. It's the same thing.

So everyone read this article and just be happy that Cuse basketball has survived since 1987.
Syracuse Basketball Is Facing a Shutout in Recruiting of Athletes

Yeah, Boeheim did nothing with the next year's team, "Sherman Douglas and Seikaly, and standout freshman Derrick Coleman, the team's leading rebounder. Syracuse also will return sophomore Herman Harried and freshman Keith Hughes at the forward position. Despite playing some small forward, Stephen Thompson is expected to play mostly guard next year, but he'll have to contend with Duncan and Matt Roe". (and Billy Owens!)

Very good find! We need to temper our fandom a little with the reality of outside circumstances. I am not claiming Boeheim will have the same results with the crew he is returning for '17-'18 and the incoming guys as he did the following year of the article, but let's give JB a little credit, he has been able to coach a kid every now and then and even won a couple games here and there.

I have been impressed with Battle. I think TT will improve, especially on defense (and perhaps a few more pounds). Lydon (still not convinced he goes to the NBA unless he is a guaranteed 1st round pick - one more year t o improve his overall game, add muscle and prove himself at both ends of the court for a whole season). Not a bad nucleus to build a team around. A true 7-footer that can run the court would always be a great find, but 350 other teams want that kid too-if/when he can be found.

It is easy to forget how spoiled/blessed we Syracuse Orange fans are. 40+ years of winning records, NC, several FFs, 30+ 20-win seasons, the best college hoops venue, the list goes on and on and on...