Midnight Madness

Quote from: Tiger on October 26, 2013, 09:19:03 AM

Based on the lack of 2014 recruits at MM, it seems like the 2014 recruiting strategy now hinges on winning 20 games and making some noise in the tournaments and then hoping some top talent (either transfers, JCs, foreign and commitment releases (coaching changes etc.)) becomes interested.  Sounds a bit risky.  Puts pressure on the 2015 recruiting.

My sense is 2015 haul will be rock solid & 2014 reasonable with a surprise or two. Just my opinion.

We need more in 2015 then 2014 so not a bad idea to try and get a head start on 2015 while keeping tabs on the 14' class

Agree - 2014 not the focus.  Will likely red shirt 1 or 2 this year and play 10 deep.  2015 is target year.

Agree - 2014 not the focus.  Will likely red shirt 1 or 2 this year and play 10 deep.  2015 is target year.

Redshirt who?  Felix- fine whatever.
Jones?  Makes no sense to redshirt him.  Losing Gift and Sanchez next year and maybe more frontcourt options it would make ZERO sense to redshirt him.  Let him get gradual minutes this year so he's not a deer in headlights next year.

not saying I agree or not but will likely red shirt felix and christian jones. 

not saying I agree or not but will likely red shirt felix and christian jones. 

I'd be shocked if we redshirt 2 players.  If we do than coach is talking out of his you know what with all the 13 players, full team, 2 deep, etc.....

Quote from: sjulaw1991 on October 26, 2013, 07:24:04 PM

Agree - 2014 not the focus.  Will likely red shirt 1 or 2 this year and play 10 deep.  2015 is target year.

Redshirt who?  Felix- fine whatever.
Jones?  Makes no sense to redshirt him.  Losing Gift and Sanchez next year and maybe more frontcourt options it would make ZERO sense to redshirt him.  Let him get gradual minutes this year so he's not a deer in headlights next year.

Couldn't have said it better.

@TheBBallDiary: If you havent seen the post interview video by yours truly here it is: Jeff Borzello with #SJUBB Steve Lavin http://t.co/y3YMJTho8M

This is the most exciting I have been to start a season since Cook's freshman year.

This is the most exciting I have been to start a season since Cook's freshman year.

I was at that first UK game at MSG. I remember turning to my friend when Alpha Bangura's name wasn't called in the starting line up, and saying, yikes, 150lb string bean Willie Shaw is starting over a guy who "destroyed Bootsy and Lavor in practice?" This doesn't add up. 

Haha -- I watched that game on TV, and remember how good Cook looked passing the ball, with Dickie V practically having an orgasm during the telecast. 

I also, unfortunately, remember the inflated expecations I had about Bangura.

Haha -- I watched that game on TV, and remember how good Cook looked passing the ball, with Dickie V practically having an orgasm during the telecast. 

I also, unfortunately, remember the inflated expecations I had about Bangura.

likewise. That guy was awful.

Haha -- I watched that game on TV, and remember how good Cook looked passing the ball, with Dickie V practically having an orgasm during the telecast. 

I also, unfortunately, remember the inflated expecations I had about Bangura.

Imagine if Cook had players on the team who could catch that ball.

Agree, Moose.  He was a truly gifted distributor.

Based on the lack of 2014 recruits at MM, it seems like the 2014 recruiting strategy now hinges on winning 20 games and making some noise in the tournaments and then hoping some top talent (either transfers, JCs, foreign and commitment releases (coaching changes etc.)) becomes interested.  Sounds a bit risky.  Puts pressure on the 2015 recruiting.

Well we are certainly picking and choosing.  We could have jumped on lots of different kids, but we haven't.  I don't think that the staff is relying on a big year to parlay our success to spring recruiting.  I think that they either don't like much of what is out there and attainable right now, or they have their eye on some guys we don't know about for the spring signing as possibilities. 

I don't think our staff is rolling the dice and hoping something sticks this spring.   We'll probably have a surprise or two like Paultzman said, but our "big" class is the 2015 one.

Quote from: Tiger on October 26, 2013, 09:19:03 AM

Based on the lack of 2014 recruits at MM, it seems like the 2014 recruiting strategy now hinges on winning 20 games and making some noise in the tournaments and then hoping some top talent (either transfers, JCs, foreign and commitment releases (coaching changes etc.)) becomes interested.  Sounds a bit risky.  Puts pressure on the 2015 recruiting.

Well we are certainly picking and choosing.  We could have jumped on lots of different kids, but we haven't.  I don't think that the staff is relying on a big year to parlay our success to spring recruiting.  I think that they either don't like much of what is out there and attainable right now, or they have their eye on some guys we don't know about for the spring signing as possibilities. 

I don't think our staff is rolling the dice and hoping something sticks this spring.   We'll probably have a surprise or two like Paultzman said, but our "big" class is the 2015 one.

Could also mean staff is confident that most of the team will return. Tough to tell before the season but still

Quote from: MCNPA on October 30, 2013, 01:52:20 AM

Quote from: Tiger on October 26, 2013, 09:19:03 AM

Based on the lack of 2014 recruits at MM, it seems like the 2014 recruiting strategy now hinges on winning 20 games and making some noise in the tournaments and then hoping some top talent (either transfers, JCs, foreign and commitment releases (coaching changes etc.)) becomes interested.  Sounds a bit risky.  Puts pressure on the 2015 recruiting.

Well we are certainly picking and choosing.  We could have jumped on lots of different kids, but we haven't.  I don't think that the staff is relying on a big year to parlay our success to spring recruiting.  I think that they either don't like much of what is out there and attainable right now, or they have their eye on some guys we don't know about for the spring signing as possibilities. 

I don't think our staff is rolling the dice and hoping something sticks this spring.   We'll probably have a surprise or two like Paultzman said, but our "big" class is the 2015 one.

Could also mean staff is confident that most of the team will return. Tough to tell before the season but still

I think that is the case.  We still need at least one PF/C type though, and a good one becasue we will be replacing our starting PF and backup C/PF.

Agree with the need but lets not kid ourselves.  Coach has struck out on every 3 , 4 or 5 position player he has gone after in the last and present recruiting classes.  And let's be honest here, unless we are talking a player of the talent level of a Diallo, what kid that we are after can come in and make an immediate impact to replace a Sanchez or even Gift as a back up and that's assuming all other major players return.

Putting all our eggs in the 2015 basket should have all of us concerned.  As we have seen in the past, even a monster class takes time to mature and be competitive. And as for next year, unless you all believe that Jones will be a suitable replacement for Sanchez and Gift, then we all better hope that coach has another rabit hidden in his hat somewhere.

Agree with the need but lets not kid ourselves.  Coach has struck out on every 3 , 4 or 5 position player he has gone after in the last and present recruiting classes.  And let's be honest here, unless we are talking a player of the talent level of a Diallo, what kid that we are after can come in and make an immediate impact to replace a Sanchez or even Gift as a back up and that's assuming all other major players return.

Putting all our eggs in the 2015 basket should have all of us concerned.  As we have seen in the past, even a monster class takes time to mature and be competitive. And as for next year, unless you all believe that Jones will be a suitable replacement for Sanchez and Gift, then we all better hope that coach has another rabit hidden in his hat somewhere.

I ran into Lav in NYC today. He was wearing a stovepipe hat. Hmm

Agree with the need but lets not kid ourselves.  Coach has struck out on every 3 , 4 or 5 position player he has gone after in the last and present recruiting classes.  And let's be honest here, unless we are talking a player of the talent level of a Diallo, what kid that we are after can come in and make an immediate impact to replace a Sanchez or even Gift as a back up and that's assuming all other major players return.

Putting all our eggs in the 2015 basket should have all of us concerned.  As we have seen in the past, even a monster class takes time to mature and be competitive. And as for next year, unless you all believe that Jones will be a suitable replacement for Sanchez and Gift, then we all better hope that coach has another rabit hidden in his hat somewhere.

Half of me agrees with you, but the other half says that things have looked bleak every year in the lavin era and the staff has always come through with recruits.  Talent is probably never going to the be thing this team is short on, relatively speaking.

I also really like Jones' upside and think he has been miscast as a post player.  I thought he was a poor mans Rico Gathers when he popped late, but he's clearly not a traditional big man and is still learning the position.  He could be a really good face up 4 and we could run out a senior-laden, guard-heavy lineup and still be a tournament team next season.  I'm more concerned that we are relying on him to play a big role beyond this season and he transfers prematurely.

Agree with the need but lets not kid ourselves.  Coach has struck out on every 3 , 4 or 5 position player he has gone after in the last and present recruiting classes.  And let's be honest here, unless we are talking a player of the talent level of a Diallo, what kid that we are after can come in and make an immediate impact to replace a Sanchez or even Gift as a back up and that's assuming all other major players return.

Putting all our eggs in the 2015 basket should have all of us concerned.  As we have seen in the past, even a monster class takes time to mature and be competitive. And as for next year, unless you all believe that Jones will be a suitable replacement for Sanchez and Gift, then we all better hope that coach has another rabit hidden in his hat somewhere.

We need a guy like Willard to fix this mess.