Official Visits

[quote="Ray Morgan" post=295481]All of this back and forth on Lavin, Slice, etc. is depressing. Worrying about what happens in 2 years is not a great thing either. Former LSU coach Dale Brown once said that too many people live in those 2 damn eternities of the past and future. I'm going to focus on the moment, and this season. Hoping that Kofi and Precious will lead the way by staying home, and perhaps even becoming the next Mullin. You go to North Carolina or Kansas, you are just one of many in the assembly line of 5 star players.You go to St. John's and go to a final four or somehow win a national title, and you become immortal. Who wants to lead the way?[/quote]
Ponds already was that and no one really followed. The one thing that would really help would be Ponds getting drafted in the first round, thats what recruits like to see. It would give the staff the ability to say they can develop guys into 1st rounders. Of course winning helps too but thats been said a million times already. If we had some early commits i dont think people would be looking ahead as much but one by one all of our targets are going elsewhere so people are wondering about the future. The season is coming fast so we will have actual games to talk about, but until then what else is there to talk about? I enjoy reading peoples thoughts and inside info, its not really that serious to me what people post negative or positive. Gives me something to read in between work and my wife yelling at me lol.
 
for the record, Caraher came from Houston Baptist U in the Southland Conference.

Technically D1....but point well taken that he'll need to prove how his 16-17 ppg their transfer to higher level conf....much like Dixon.

Caraher listed at 6'6" 220..... Earlington listed at 6'5 225 lbs.
 
[quote="redken" post=295487][quote="L J S A" post=295484][quote="redken" post=295482]As for Caraher, he's a 6-5 D2(!!!) player who will be sitting out this year. Sorry, but I've seen this movie before and it didn't have a happy ending.[/quote]

To be fair, the Southland Conference is D1.[/quote]
Thanks, LJSA. Realized it as I hit the "Submit" key. Nevertheless, the Southland Conference ...Hope I'm wrong, but hardly something to get excited about.[/quote]

I was happy at the time, but as soon as Heron signed on I realized that Caraher's scholarship could have been used for a renewed effort to bring in a big man. Maybe a late press on the NJIT big guy once you can show him Heron is aboard and it's a team that could shock everyone. Caraher is a good shooter, but he doesn't look too fast. He's probably going to be a backup stretch 4. Which is fine, but we need a starting PF.
 
[quote="redken" post=295487][quote="L J S A" post=295484][quote="redken" post=295482]As for Caraher, he's a 6-5 D2(!!!) player who will be sitting out this year. Sorry, but I've seen this movie before and it didn't have a happy ending.[/quote]

To be fair, the Southland Conference is D1.[/quote]
Thanks, LJSA. Realized it as I hit the "Submit" key. Nevertheless, the Southland Conference ...Hope I'm wrong, but hardly something to get excited about.[/quote]

Well, I ‘think’ the kid was a 3*/4* in HS, and was recruited by and committed to Butler, but then decommitted when their amazing coach fled to bigger pastures.
Freshman of the Year in the Southland Conference.
We shall see.
 
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[quote="Dan V" post=295488][quote="Ray Morgan" post=295481]All of this back and forth on Lavin, Slice, etc. is depressing. Worrying about what happens in 2 years is not a great thing either. Former LSU coach Dale Brown once said that too many people live in those 2 damn eternities of the past and future. I'm going to focus on the moment, and this season. Hoping that Kofi and Precious will lead the way by staying home, and perhaps even becoming the next Mullin. You go to North Carolina or Kansas, you are just one of many in the assembly line of 5 star players.You go to St. John's and go to a final four or somehow win a national title, and you become immortal. Who wants to lead the way?[/quote]
Ponds already was that and no one really followed. The one thing that would really help would be Ponds getting drafted in the first round, thats what recruits like to see. It would give the staff the ability to say they can develop guys into 1st rounders. Of course winning helps too but thats been said a million times already. If we had some early commits i dont think people would be looking ahead as much but one by one all of our targets are going elsewhere so people are wondering about the future. The season is coming fast so we will have actual games to talk about, but until then what else is there to talk about? I enjoy reading peoples thoughts and inside info, its not really that serious to me what people post negative or positive. Gives me something to read in between work and my wife yelling at me lol.[/quote]

I thought that your analysis for the 19-20 season was spot on. Just wish we were all talking about the '19 recruits that looked like a strong lean. Except we don't have any. Instead, we are left with regurgitating the mistakes of the past, and the concerns of the future. Which is a sign of lack of fan confidence for the staff and the program. So here's my take on the 2019 college season: Precious will be a handful at PF or wing, and while teams double Kofi, our outside game will be hard to stop. Of course this may turn out to be a good analysis for UConn's team in a few years. Here's one thing we can all agree on: While we can't all agree on SJU basketball, we can all agree that wives nag and, in the words of a former co-worker, all jobs suck. I'm going to retire soon and volunteer at St. John's as a second recruiter to help out Matt. Excuse me while I prepare my resume.
 
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I’d luv to be honed in on Ty Samuel.
His recruitment is heating up.
I’d ‘hit that’ in a blink.
Go for it.
 
[quote="Chicago Days" post=295493]I’d luv to be honed in on Ty Samuel.
His recruitment is heating up.
I’d ‘hit that’ in a blink.
Go for it.[/quote]

If he's heating up, then we have no chnace. Every school will send the whole staff, we'll send only Matt.
NO CHANCE.
 
I know you guys thought I was crazy for this and will still think so (which actually might be fair), but imagine if Adonis blows up at Illinois? I know he's coming off of major surgery, but if I were coach, I would've snagged him again. Is he going to be a great big? Most likely not, but the fact that we could use his services shows how desperate we are for big bodies. He would at least add a legit 7 feet to our depth.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=295501]I know you guys thought I was crazy for this and will still think so (which actually might be fair), but imagine if Adonis blows up at Illinois? I know he's coming off of major surgery, but if I were coach, I would've snagged him again. Is he going to be a great big? Most likely not, but the fact that we could use his services shows how desperate we are for big bodies. He would at least add a legit 7 feet to our depth.[/quote]
Zero chance he or SJU would be interested. The fight incident is not an enticement for starters. Secondly, getting away from NYC was a plus for him re getting in shape & avoiding distractions. Thirdly, Orlando Antigua is on Illini staff and close to him.
 
[quote="Paultzman" post=295502][quote="Mike Zaun" post=295501]I know you guys thought I was crazy for this and will still think so (which actually might be fair), but imagine if Adonis blows up at Illinois? I know he's coming off of major surgery, but if I were coach, I would've snagged him again. Is he going to be a great big? Most likely not, but the fact that we could use his services shows how desperate we are for big bodies. He would at least add a legit 7 feet to our depth.[/quote]
Zero chance he or SJU would be interested. The fight incident is not an enticement for starters. Secondly, getting away from NYC was a plus for him re getting in shape & avoiding distractions. Thirdly, Orlando Antigua is on Illini staff and close to him.[/quote]

Thanks Paultz, my bad I totally forgot (again) regarding the fight incident. Without that incident though it would have been interesting to consider. If my memory is this bad at 29, I worry for my future :lol:
 
Re: Dawes

"Shaheen Holloway was the first to offer me when he was there," he said. "Coach Willard has been the only head coach that's been involved with me for all four years of high school. He really believes in me."

He sees six schools being the most active with him right now and it looks like all of these programs are strong contenders to land him.

“I would say Clemson, UConn, La Salle, Seton Hall, St. John's and Providence have been the most active with me,” he said.

[URL][URL]https://www.prepcircuit.com/news_article/show/951419[/URL][/URL]
 
[quote="Paultzman" post=295502][quote="Mike Zaun" post=295501]I know you guys thought I was crazy for this and will still think so (which actually might be fair), but imagine if Adonis blows up at Illinois? I know he's coming off of major surgery, but if I were coach, I would've snagged him again. Is he going to be a great big? Most likely not, but the fact that we could use his services shows how desperate we are for big bodies. He would at least add a legit 7 feet to our depth.[/quote]
Zero chance he or SJU would be interested. The fight incident is not an enticement for starters. Secondly, getting away from NYC was a plus for him re getting in shape & avoiding distractions. Thirdly, Orlando Antigua is on Illini staff and close to him.[/quote]

I'm reminded of a girl that my daughter played AAU basketball with in middle school. She was taller than most girls, but very very overweight, and had difficulty making it up and down the court. She had some skills though, and her father insisted she was going to play at Christ the King (still in their heyday). I thought it was just about the most ridiculous thing a parent ever uttered (and from my experience nearly everything parents uttered about their kid's college basketball outlook was nonsense). He started getting her up every morning to jog with him, and I really thought it was a crazy lost cause. I lost track of her, and she was just one of many girls that my kids played with and against - some amazing with recognizable names.

Roll the story forward 3 or 4 years, when I saw Christ the King girls play at St. John's University. One of the starters was the very same girl, who was now a very fit and athletic 6'1 or so forward. Completely unrecognizable from the overweight middle schooler. She ended up with a scholarship to D1 UAB. I lost track of her again, but the point of the story is that sometimes the change can be astonishing in the literal sense once an overweight kid gets into shape.

Mike isn't so crazy in his thoughts then.
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=295509][quote="Paultzman" post=295502][quote="Mike Zaun" post=295501]I know you guys thought I was crazy for this and will still think so (which actually might be fair), but imagine if Adonis blows up at Illinois? I know he's coming off of major surgery, but if I were coach, I would've snagged him again. Is he going to be a great big? Most likely not, but the fact that we could use his services shows how desperate we are for big bodies. He would at least add a legit 7 feet to our depth.[/quote]
Zero chance he or SJU would be interested. The fight incident is not an enticement for starters. Secondly, getting away from NYC was a plus for him re getting in shape & avoiding distractions. Thirdly, Orlando Antigua is on Illini staff and close to him.[/quote]

I'm reminded of a girl that my daughter played AAU basketball with in middle school. She was taller than most girls, but very very overweight, and had difficulty making it up and down the court. She had some skills though, and her father insisted she was going to play at Christ the King (still in their heyday). I thought it was just about the most ridiculous thing a parent ever uttered (and from my experience nearly everything parents uttered about their kid's college basketball outlook was nonsense). He started getting her up every morning to jog with him, and I really thought it was a crazy lost cause. I lost track of her, and she was just one of many girls that my kids played with and against - some amazing with recognizable names.

Roll the story forward 3 or 4 years, when I saw Christ the King girls play at St. John's University. One of the starters was the very same girl, who was now a very fit and athletic 6'1 or so forward. Completely unrecognizable from the overweight middle schooler. She ended up with a scholarship to D1 UAB. I lost track of her again, but the point of the story is that sometimes the change can be astonishing in the literal sense once an overweight kid gets into shape.

Mike isn't so crazy in his thoughts then.[/quote]
Hard to believe, but give him credit for shedding the weight
[attachment=401]49384604-BAFE-4E7F-8871-FF5A7409C953.jpeg[/attachment]
 
[quote="Chicago Days" post=295476][quote="Dan V" post=295472]Can’t argue with that. Cooley is apparently going all out for Dawes.[/quote]

I was going to say he looks like a PC combo guard type ala Bryce Cotton. As far as guards go i'd say Gaffney is our best shot amongst the guys we've been targeting for a while. Thankfully if we dont get a PG that we want we still have Mikey Dixon for his Jr/Sr years. To me the bigger need is a post player and maybe a 6'7ish stretch forward type. I doubt Precious, Aidan or Kofi will pick us because they have much more established staffs/programs offering. To me it's imperative we get HS frontcourt guys because its not going to be grad bigs; i'm done hoping for that. 1 HS post player and the rest of the class (2 or 3 depending on Simon) can be transfers of all types; would be fine by me.

Backcourt- Simon*, Dixon, Figueroa, Williams, Trimble, Wright
Simon and Dixon can play the 1 and 2, Williams and Trimble are the 2's, Figs and Wright are the swing guys. Caraher should also fill in on the wing some if he can shoot. Now if Simon leaves we will need a backup PG.

Frontcourt- Keita, Roberts, Earlington, Caraher
As you can see not too deep and tons of question marks. 1 or 2 more bodies would be ideal. Keita will be the man in the middle. Not sure who starts next to him out of the other 3 but my guess would be Caraher; although I have my doubts about his size at the 4 at this level. Hopefully he can be like a Andrew Chrabascz type of player for us. Roberts and Earlington will be the backups but both are more 4s than 5s. Need a backup Center.

How good this roster will be depends on how Dixon, Keita, Figueroa, Trimble look this upcoming season. The freshman will be freshman not counting on them too much this upcoming season; their time will come.[/quote]

You have us whiffing on ALL our 2019 targets.
Very much a bummer of a ‘forecast’ Dan.
I’m praying you’re wrong on at least 1...would love to get Kofi or Precious...or both—impressed as all heck by our fabulous season!
I can dream.
Vino Rosa again...[/quote]

Yeah I feel you Chi but you know how it is we're talking 5 star top 40 recruits, except Gaffney who we have a realistic shot with. Not really St. John's strong suit. But thats OK, i'm not of the belief that 5 and 4 stars are the only way to win in college ball. One or two 4 star kids every few classes and some high to mid 3 star kids looks like the recipe for SJU. Tony Bennett dominating the ACC with a great system, coaching, and these types of recruits.
  He gets kids HE wants not just kids everyone wants. 5 stars are good for elite programs for the rest they're just wishful thinking 95% of the time. He learned the Pack Line from his dad so he is a master at it. He can identify recruits who posses the one or two skills needed for each role in his system. With Mullin he just started coaching a few years ago. He is developing a system on the go, with a staff light on experience coaching wise, which has to be tough at this level.
  He has no history to draw upon when it comes to recruits that fit his style of play because he hasn't had any success with it. How do you know what works when it hasn't really worked yet? There were some glimpses this past season before it fell apart. This year will hopefully be his first successful year and he can see what types of players and skill sets fit his gameplan best. That will allow him to go all in on some kids early who may not be top 100 recruits before they blow up or even if they don't we can be their best offer and they can become stars or key contributors for us. You know like a Joe Harris, Akil Mitchell, Darion Atkins, London Perrantes, Devon Hall, Isaiah Wilkins, Marial Shayok, Jack Salt, all 3 star recruits.
  If you can win with those types of guys than you might snag a top 50-75 type of kid like Ponds out of HS consistently at a place like St. John's; but there are no shortcuts you have to earn it. After that a guy like Matt is really valuable when he can supplement what you've built with impact transfers. Shouldn't be your primary source though. To Mullins credit I believe he has the right idea with Williams and Roberts who are high level athletes who should defend and fit his up and down agressive style very well. Simon, Owens, and LoVett also fit this system very well and are good blueprints physically and stylistically for future players imo.
 
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[quote="Dan V" post=295536][quote="Chicago Days" post=295476][quote="Dan V" post=295472]Can’t argue with that. Cooley is apparently going all out for Dawes.[/quote]

I was going to say he looks like a PC combo guard type ala Bryce Cotton. As far as guards go i'd say Gaffney is our best shot amongst the guys we've been targeting for a while. Thankfully if we dont get a PG that we want we still have Mikey Dixon for his Jr/Sr years. To me the bigger need is a post player and maybe a 6'7ish stretch forward type. I doubt Precious, Aidan or Kofi will pick us because they have much more established staffs/programs offering. To me it's imperative we get HS frontcourt guys because its not going to be grad bigs; i'm done hoping for that. 1 HS post player and the rest of the class (2 or 3 depending on Simon) can be transfers of all types; would be fine by me.

Backcourt- Simon*, Dixon, Figueroa, Williams, Trimble, Wright
Simon and Dixon can play the 1 and 2, Williams and Trimble are the 2's, Figs and Wright are the swing guys. Caraher should also fill in on the wing some if he can shoot. Now if Simon leaves we will need a backup PG.

Frontcourt- Keita, Roberts, Earlington, Caraher
As you can see not too deep and tons of question marks. 1 or 2 more bodies would be ideal. Keita will be the man in the middle. Not sure who starts next to him out of the other 3 but my guess would be Caraher; although I have my doubts about his size at the 4 at this level. Hopefully he can be like a Andrew Chrabascz type of player for us. Roberts and Earlington will be the backups but both are more 4s than 5s. Need a backup Center.

How good this roster will be depends on how Dixon, Keita, Figueroa, Trimble look this upcoming season. The freshman will be freshman not counting on them too much this upcoming season; their time will come.[/quote]

You have us whiffing on ALL our 2019 targets.
Very much a bummer of a ‘forecast’ Dan.
I’m praying you’re wrong on at least 1...would love to get Kofi or Precious...or both—impressed as all heck by our fabulous season!
I can dream.
Vino Rosa again...[/quote]

Yeah I feel you Chi but you know how it is we're talking 5 star top 40 recruits, except Gaffney who we have a realistic shot with. Not really St. John's strong suit. But thats OK, i'm not of the belief that 5 and 4 stars are the only way to win in college ball. One or two 4 star kids every few classes and some high to mid 3 star kids looks like the recipe for SJU. Tony Bennett dominating the ACC with a great system, coaching, and these types of recruits.
  He gets kids HE wants not just kids everyone wants. 5 stars are good for elite programs for the rest they're just wishful thinking 95% of the time. He learned the Pack Line from his dad so he is a master at it. He can identify recruits who posses the one or two skills needed for each role in his system. With Mullin he just started coaching a few years ago. He is developing a system on the go, with a staff light on experience coaching wise, which has to be tough at this level.
  He has no history to draw upon when it comes to recruits that fit his style of play because he hasn't had any success with it. How do you know what works when it hasn't really worked yet? There were some glimpses this past season before it fell apart. This year will hopefully be his first successful year and he can see what types of players and skill sets fit his gameplan best. That will allow him to go all in on some kids early who may not be top 100 recruits before they blow up or even if they don't we can be their best offer and they can become stars or key contributors for us. You know like a Joe Harris, Akil Mitchell, Darion Atkins, London Perrantes, Devon Hall, Isaiah Wilkins, Marial Shayok, Jack Salt, all 3 star recruits.
  If you can win with those types of guys than you might snag a top 50-75 type of kid like Ponds out of HS consistently at a place like St. John's; but there are no shortcuts you have to earn it. After that a guy like Matt is really valuable when he can supplement what you've built with impact transfers. Shouldn't be your primary source though. To Mullins credit I believe he has the right idea with Williams and Roberts who are high level athletes who should defend and fit his up and down agressive style very well. Simon, Owens, and LoVett also fit this system very well and are good blueprints physically and stylistically for future players imo.[/quote]

Great post Dan. I agree 100% with it.
I was just noodling that our ‘sweet’ recruitng spot should be kids ranked ‘roughly’ 75-175...4*/3* kids...plus a few diamonds in the rough that we glean are promising.
That plan should be our go-to MO until we begin to win consistently.
Recruitng effectively also requires having 2 full-time recruiters and a hungry HC ready to do everything necessary (legally) to close.
 
[quote="Chicago Days" post=295543][quote="Dan V" post=295536][quote="Chicago Days" post=295476][quote="Dan V" post=295472]Can’t argue with that. Cooley is apparently going all out for Dawes.[/quote]

I was going to say he looks like a PC combo guard type ala Bryce Cotton. As far as guards go i'd say Gaffney is our best shot amongst the guys we've been targeting for a while. Thankfully if we dont get a PG that we want we still have Mikey Dixon for his Jr/Sr years. To me the bigger need is a post player and maybe a 6'7ish stretch forward type. I doubt Precious, Aidan or Kofi will pick us because they have much more established staffs/programs offering. To me it's imperative we get HS frontcourt guys because its not going to be grad bigs; i'm done hoping for that. 1 HS post player and the rest of the class (2 or 3 depending on Simon) can be transfers of all types; would be fine by me.

Backcourt- Simon*, Dixon, Figueroa, Williams, Trimble, Wright
Simon and Dixon can play the 1 and 2, Williams and Trimble are the 2's, Figs and Wright are the swing guys. Caraher should also fill in on the wing some if he can shoot. Now if Simon leaves we will need a backup PG.

Frontcourt- Keita, Roberts, Earlington, Caraher
As you can see not too deep and tons of question marks. 1 or 2 more bodies would be ideal. Keita will be the man in the middle. Not sure who starts next to him out of the other 3 but my guess would be Caraher; although I have my doubts about his size at the 4 at this level. Hopefully he can be like a Andrew Chrabascz type of player for us. Roberts and Earlington will be the backups but both are more 4s than 5s. Need a backup Center.

How good this roster will be depends on how Dixon, Keita, Figueroa, Trimble look this upcoming season. The freshman will be freshman not counting on them too much this upcoming season; their time will come.[/quote]

You have us whiffing on ALL our 2019 targets.
Very much a bummer of a ‘forecast’ Dan.
I’m praying you’re wrong on at least 1...would love to get Kofi or Precious...or both—impressed as all heck by our fabulous season!
I can dream.
Vino Rosa again...[/quote]

Yeah I feel you Chi but you know how it is we're talking 5 star top 40 recruits, except Gaffney who we have a realistic shot with. Not really St. John's strong suit. But thats OK, i'm not of the belief that 5 and 4 stars are the only way to win in college ball. One or two 4 star kids every few classes and some high to mid 3 star kids looks like the recipe for SJU. Tony Bennett dominating the ACC with a great system, coaching, and these types of recruits.
  He gets kids HE wants not just kids everyone wants. 5 stars are good for elite programs for the rest they're just wishful thinking 95% of the time. He learned the Pack Line from his dad so he is a master at it. He can identify recruits who posses the one or two skills needed for each role in his system. With Mullin he just started coaching a few years ago. He is developing a system on the go, with a staff light on experience coaching wise, which has to be tough at this level.
  He has no history to draw upon when it comes to recruits that fit his style of play because he hasn't had any success with it. How do you know what works when it hasn't really worked yet? There were some glimpses this past season before it fell apart. This year will hopefully be his first successful year and he can see what types of players and skill sets fit his gameplan best. That will allow him to go all in on some kids early who may not be top 100 recruits before they blow up or even if they don't we can be their best offer and they can become stars or key contributors for us. You know like a Joe Harris, Akil Mitchell, Darion Atkins, London Perrantes, Devon Hall, Isaiah Wilkins, Marial Shayok, Jack Salt, all 3 star recruits.
  If you can win with those types of guys than you might snag a top 50-75 type of kid like Ponds out of HS consistently at a place like St. John's; but there are no shortcuts you have to earn it. After that a guy like Matt is really valuable when he can supplement what you've built with impact transfers. Shouldn't be your primary source though. To Mullins credit I believe he has the right idea with Williams and Roberts who are high level athletes who should defend and fit his up and down agressive style very well. Simon, Owens, and LoVett also fit this system very well and are good blueprints physically and stylistically for future players imo.[/quote]

Great post Dan. I agree 100% with it.
I was just noodling that our ‘sweet’ recruitng spot should be kids ranked ‘roughly’ 75-175...4*/3* kids...plus a few diamonds in the rough that we glean are promising.
That plan should be our go-to MO until we begin to win consistently.
Recruitng effectively also requires having 2 full-time recruiters and a hungry HC ready to do everything necessary (legally) to close.[/quote]

The "sweet spot" should be top 40-100 while occasionally dabbling in the top 125-175. No offense to you, but this is another form of lowering expectations.
 
[quote="MJDinkins" post=295546][quote="Chicago Days" post=295543][quote="Dan V" post=295536][quote="Chicago Days" post=295476][quote="Dan V" post=295472]Can’t argue with that. Cooley is apparently going all out for Dawes.[/quote]

I was going to say he looks like a PC combo guard type ala Bryce Cotton. As far as guards go i'd say Gaffney is our best shot amongst the guys we've been targeting for a while. Thankfully if we dont get a PG that we want we still have Mikey Dixon for his Jr/Sr years. To me the bigger need is a post player and maybe a 6'7ish stretch forward type. I doubt Precious, Aidan or Kofi will pick us because they have much more established staffs/programs offering. To me it's imperative we get HS frontcourt guys because its not going to be grad bigs; i'm done hoping for that. 1 HS post player and the rest of the class (2 or 3 depending on Simon) can be transfers of all types; would be fine by me.

Backcourt- Simon*, Dixon, Figueroa, Williams, Trimble, Wright
Simon and Dixon can play the 1 and 2, Williams and Trimble are the 2's, Figs and Wright are the swing guys. Caraher should also fill in on the wing some if he can shoot. Now if Simon leaves we will need a backup PG.

Frontcourt- Keita, Roberts, Earlington, Caraher
As you can see not too deep and tons of question marks. 1 or 2 more bodies would be ideal. Keita will be the man in the middle. Not sure who starts next to him out of the other 3 but my guess would be Caraher; although I have my doubts about his size at the 4 at this level. Hopefully he can be like a Andrew Chrabascz type of player for us. Roberts and Earlington will be the backups but both are more 4s than 5s. Need a backup Center.

How good this roster will be depends on how Dixon, Keita, Figueroa, Trimble look this upcoming season. The freshman will be freshman not counting on them too much this upcoming season; their time will come.[/quote]

You have us whiffing on ALL our 2019 targets.
Very much a bummer of a ‘forecast’ Dan.
I’m praying you’re wrong on at least 1...would love to get Kofi or Precious...or both—impressed as all heck by our fabulous season!
I can dream.
Vino Rosa again...[/quote]

Yeah I feel you Chi but you know how it is we're talking 5 star top 40 recruits, except Gaffney who we have a realistic shot with. Not really St. John's strong suit. But thats OK, i'm not of the belief that 5 and 4 stars are the only way to win in college ball. One or two 4 star kids every few classes and some high to mid 3 star kids looks like the recipe for SJU. Tony Bennett dominating the ACC with a great system, coaching, and these types of recruits.
  He gets kids HE wants not just kids everyone wants. 5 stars are good for elite programs for the rest they're just wishful thinking 95% of the time. He learned the Pack Line from his dad so he is a master at it. He can identify recruits who posses the one or two skills needed for each role in his system. With Mullin he just started coaching a few years ago. He is developing a system on the go, with a staff light on experience coaching wise, which has to be tough at this level.
  He has no history to draw upon when it comes to recruits that fit his style of play because he hasn't had any success with it. How do you know what works when it hasn't really worked yet? There were some glimpses this past season before it fell apart. This year will hopefully be his first successful year and he can see what types of players and skill sets fit his gameplan best. That will allow him to go all in on some kids early who may not be top 100 recruits before they blow up or even if they don't we can be their best offer and they can become stars or key contributors for us. You know like a Joe Harris, Akil Mitchell, Darion Atkins, London Perrantes, Devon Hall, Isaiah Wilkins, Marial Shayok, Jack Salt, all 3 star recruits.
  If you can win with those types of guys than you might snag a top 50-75 type of kid like Ponds out of HS consistently at a place like St. John's; but there are no shortcuts you have to earn it. After that a guy like Matt is really valuable when he can supplement what you've built with impact transfers. Shouldn't be your primary source though. To Mullins credit I believe he has the right idea with Williams and Roberts who are high level athletes who should defend and fit his up and down agressive style very well. Simon, Owens, and LoVett also fit this system very well and are good blueprints physically and stylistically for future players imo.[/quote]

Great post Dan. I agree 100% with it.
I was just noodling that our ‘sweet’ recruitng spot should be kids ranked ‘roughly’ 75-175...4*/3* kids...plus a few diamonds in the rough that we glean are promising.
That plan should be our go-to MO until we begin to win consistently.
Recruitng effectively also requires having 2 full-time recruiters and a hungry HC ready to do everything necessary (legally) to close.[/quote]

The "sweet spot" should be top 40-100 while occasionally dabbling in the top 125-175. No offense to you, but this is another form of lowering expectations.[/quote]

NP Dink. I was thinking that our current ‘sweet spot’ is 75-175, and that once we begin to win consistently—like Nova, Xavier, Providence—we could ‘realistically’ shoot for the 5*/High 4* kids 40-70+.
Presently, we whiff on those guys because we don’t have a ‘compelling’ narrative, nor a fully-staffed recruiting function.
 
Yes we should not be satisfied for 75-100 recruits . I thought that’s why we brought in a famous alum and HoFer and NBA great. Any coach making a million less can work with numbers 75-100
If that is our expectations after 3-4 yrs it was not a good
Hirer
 
Well I’m not sure why hiring a recruiter to replace Slice isn’t a priority for this staff. Matt has done an amazing job but he can’t effectively do it alone.
 
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