It seems to me that Willard and Company are taking the same approach as Roberts did. Get the fans excited that you recruiting the local big dog that you have no chance of getting.
With that said, kids like to get away and then realize home isn't a bad thing and then transfer close to home and schools like Iona get lucky with a Sledge and Momo Jones, Seton Hall with Sterling Gibbs and to some extent Wally Judge (close to DC), Hofstra with Kareem Canty, and Providence with Sidiki Johnson and Tyler Harris.
The above players would likely never have considered those schools the first time around as they wanted bigger and better things,