Derrick Wilson to Marquette

[NersEllenson]

Do you truly think that too much competition turns top recruits away from MU? I don't think any high-major recruit looks at MU's roster for next year and thinks, "I can't compete with Vander Blue and Junior Cadougan! I'm picking a different school!" They're more than likely to think, "I'm better than those guys. I'll play right away." Honestly, if they don't have that mind-set, they're probably not going to see the floor much no matter where you choose to play.

Yes - high major talent is not accustomed to sitting on the bench for 2 years..and wants to get the opportunity to showcase its talent as much as possible. Most kids in the 25-50 range are NOT going to be better as a freshman than a sophomore or junior in the program rated between 50-100.  Now, the truly ELITE..Top 25 kids..sure most of them probably can/could come in and get immediate playing time.

Another way of looking at it:  If you were a coach, would you believe it would be easier to sign a kid/land a kid if you could show him your roster and say - look...we basically have no players returning at your postion, no Top 100 players in your path to a starting spot - as opposed to selling what Buzz had to sell to Faust, Hood, and Harrison this year?

[mug644]

Good points all around in response to my inquiry about Wilson's recruitment, and I had forgotten about Buzz's stated strategy of a PG with each class. I am impressed by what I hear about Wilson and am glad he is in the fold. I also remain enthusiastic about our team with Cadougan as PG.

[martyconlonontherun]

Where can I get a list of offers we still have out?

[MerrittsMustache]

Another way of looking at it:  If you were a coach, would you believe it would be easier to sign a kid/land a kid if you could show him your roster and say - look...we basically have no players returning at your postion, no Top 100 players in your path to a starting spot - as opposed to selling what Buzz had to sell to Faust, Hood, and Harrison this year?

It depends who you're recruiting. Some kids would happily sign with a mediocre team so that they could play right away. Others would look at the roster with no one at their position and no Top 100 recruits and decide that they'd rather play for a more talented team. Personally, I'd want a kid who doesn't care who's on the roster or who he has to compete with because he plans to earn PT regardless. I do NOT want the kid who thinks he's going to walk in and start right away and views competition as a bad thing.

[NersEllenson]

It depends who you're recruiting. Some kids would happily sign with a mediocre team so that they could play right away. Others would look at the roster with no one at their position and no Top 100 recruits and decide that they'd rather play for a more talented team. Personally, I'd want a kid who doesn't care who's on the roster or who he has to compete with because he plans to earn PT regardless. I do NOT want the kid who thinks he's going to walk in and start right away and views competition as a bad thing.

Aren't you partially contradicting yourself..as in a previous post you stated you wouldn't want a kid who didn't think he could come in and play right away (or at least with the mentality that they come to MU with the notion that they are better than a Vander or Junior)..but now you don't want the kid who thinks he's going to walk in and start right away?

I think the gist of what you are saying I agree with..and that is you don't want a player who views competition as a bad thing.  But..to fully discount the value of a "clear path" to immediate playing time seems a bit...don't want to say naive....but something along those lines..

[texaswarrior74]

Sounds a lot more like Raymond Felton.

Except for the fact that Felton is/was lightning fast up the floor and had an extremely explosive first step when driving to the basket.

[MerrittsMustache]

Aren't you partially contradicting yourself..as in a previous post you stated you wouldn't want a kid who didn't think he could come in and play right away (or at least with the mentality that they come to MU with the notion that they are better than a Vander or Junior)..but now you don't want the kid who thinks he's going to walk in and start right away?

I think the gist of what you are saying I agree with..and that is you don't want a player who views competition as a bad thing.  But..to fully discount the value of a "clear path" to immediate playing time seems a bit...don't want to say naive....but something along those lines..

It's not contradicting if you read the entire sentence. Maybe I should have said that I don't want the kid who expects to walk in and start without having to compete for the job. MU actually had one of those guys for the first half of the season last year.

I wasn't discounting the value of a "clear path." I was just saying that I would prefer the kid who fully intends to work hard and earn his PT over the kid with LeBron's "take the easiest path" mentality.

[brewcity77]

Great to hear we added a point guard. Buzz has stated repeatedly his hope is to get a point guard and a big in every class. If we can just get God's Gift as well, this will be a very successful recruiting year, even if it doesn't match some of the hopes we had before.

[HoopsMalone]

Great to hear we added a point guard. Buzz has stated repeatedly his hope is to get a point guard and a big in every class. If we can just get God's Gift as well, this will be a very successful recruiting year, even if it doesn't match some of the hopes we had before.

God's Gift would make everyone very, very happy.

[bma725]

God's Gift would make everyone very, very happy.

Not everyone.  Adding a JUCO in this class doesn't make much sense, regardless of whether it's a 1 year or 2 year JUCO.  Too much roster imbalance, and that's never a good thing.

[Hards Alumni]

Does a 6'9" German make sense BMA?

[Canadian Dimes]

Not everyone.  Adding a JUCO in this class doesn't make much sense, regardless of whether it's a 1 year or 2 year JUCO.  Too much roster imbalance, and that's never a good thing.

if he is the best player buzz can still sign and if he is the player in buzz's mind that best helps make Mu a better team next year than it makes 100% sense. 
please

[GGGG]

Not everyone.  Adding a JUCO in this class doesn't make much sense, regardless of whether it's a 1 year or 2 year JUCO.  Too much roster imbalance, and that's never a good thing.

The biggest issue we have with roster imbalance is next year's senior class, where we only have two.  (Jae and DJO).  Getting a one year JUCO may help with that. 

The other issue is this year's freshman class...where we have Blue, Smith, Jones, Gardner, and Wilson joining them as a sophomore next year.  That's five.

[bma725]

Does a 6'9" German make sense BMA?

Maybe.  Depends on exactly what you're looking for with the last scholarship.  

if he is the best player buzz can still sign and if he is the player in buzz's mind that best helps make Mu a better team next year than it makes 100% sense.  
please

No, it doesn't.  Instant gratification isn't always what's best for the program,  sometimes the situation dictates that you build for the long term future and not just next year.  It's hard to be a consistently elite level program when you continually have large recruiting classes and are replacing nearly half the team because you didn't give a damn about roster imbalance.

[bma725]

The biggest issue we have with roster imbalance is next year's senior class, where we only have two.  (Jae and DJO).  Getting a one year JUCO may help with that. 

The other issue is this year's freshman class...where we have Blue, Smith, Jones, Gardner, and Wilson joining them as a sophomore next year.  That's five.

By one year JUCO I mean someone who spent one year at a JUCO, not someone who has one year left.  Getting one of them would create another 6 person class, meaning once again you'd have basically half the team being brand new in that particular year. 

[HoopsMalone]

Maybe Singleton gets lucky out of the banked scholarship.

[GGGG]

By one year JUCO I mean someone who spent one year at a JUCO, not someone who has one year left.  Getting one of them would create another 6 person class, meaning once again you'd have basically half the team being brand new in that particular year. 

OK...makes sense.  And another two year JUCO causes issues with this year's sophomore class with Williams, Otule and Junior...you would then have a class of four followed by a class of five.

[Canadian Dimes]

Maybe.  Depends on exactly what you're looking for with the last scholarship.  

No, it doesn't.  Instant gratification isn't always what's best for the program,  sometimes the situation dictates that you build for the long term future and not just next year.  It's hard to be a consistently elite level program when you continually have large recruiting classes and are replacing nearly half the team because you didn't give a damn about roster imbalance.

Roster balance is an issue but way way down the list.  You could have a perfectly balanced roster and the team stink or the recruiting be terrible.  Balance is a factor to consider but way way down the list.  

On top of the list is getting the best players possible.  For example Jamil Wilson is coming to Mu if he wants to regardless of balance.  If Buzz thinks a Juco player best hlps Mu compete in the BE next year and best helps Mu compete deep in to March then I absolutely guarantee you that roster imbalance of one player is almost meaningless to him.


In fact consider it this way.  A juco PF for example Buzz feel is the  the kid that can help most next year but imbalances the classes.  While he has another HS PF that he likes but does not feel he can contribute for two years but will help keep the classes balnced.  
Who does he take....no brainer!!

If nothing else the deep run the Juco PF potentially heklps u acheive makes recruitng easier  into the future.  Win Now baby...same reason coaches rarely bank a scholie.  

i respect your knowledge and info on whom Mu is recruitng but you are way off and unrealistic on this one.  Roster balance is way doen the list when evaluating a potential player.  

[bilsu]

Adding a juco only makes sense, if he is projected to play significant minutes his senior year. We do not need a juco that is not going to get off the bench and take away a scholarship from the next class. God's Gift sounds like he would play, so I would be happy with him. The German player would have four years to contribute, so he does not have to have an immediate impact. As far as balance classes, you never know if a player is going to get injured and redshirt or if a player is going to transfer out.

[PBRme]

Come March there will be 5-10 decent players available due to transfer or because they are released from there letter because the coach who recruited them is fired.  Unless the player is really good I'd take my chances in Spring.

[mu03eng]

Roster imbalance is a concern, but bringing a 2 or 3 year player at say PF means you have less playing time to offer the 4 year player.  We have been arguing that the big names want playing time, why would you crowd the field and imbalance the classes further limiting your ability to land the big name?  We think this is the deepest team we've had in years, and I agree so why clutter the roster for anyone other than THE missing piece, which I don't see out there right now?

[brewcity77]

By one year JUCO I mean someone who spent one year at a JUCO, not someone who has one year left.  Getting one of them would create another 6 person class, meaning once again you'd have basically half the team being brand new in that particular year.  

God's Gift will be a sophomore this year. If he came on as a JUCO transfer, he would join us as a junior along with Cadougan, Otule, and Williams. I don't think that would lead to that unbalanced of a class...4 new recruits is fine, most recruiting classes should probably be between 2-4.

And while it's unlikely that any player will go pro, God's Gift's coach is already talking about it as a possibility. Whether he is a 4-year player or a 2-year JUCO, if we can put a power forward in the league, I have to think it will be great for us in terms of future big man recruiting. Averaging 13/13 as a freshman, he seems to have upside, and will likely come in more polished than a freshman would.

Looking ahead, it seems like a solid power forward could be the missing link for those two years. Otule and Gardner may not be stars, but I think they'll be a solid center rotation. Jones and Wilson both look to have tremendous upside at the three position. And guys like Cadougan, Blue, and Smith give us some nice options at the guard positions (not to mention another year of Crowder and DJO).

Yet we still have a gaping hole at the four. No one really projects there. I think that if we managed to add Achiuwa as a JUCO transfer, he could truly be God's Gift to Marquette (sorry...had to take the pun).



EDIT: And another thought on Wilson joining...the timing seems perfect to me. His freshman year he probably won't be expected to play much, as most freshmen aren't. His sophomore year will be Cadougan's senior year, and the year after DJO has left. That means that Wilson can compete for time with Blue, Smith, and Cadougan, with the youth edge that means that his time should increase as those guys graduate over the two years afterward. In terms of roster balance between classes, he comes in at the perfect time and should have an opportunity to shine come his junior and senior years.

[BCHoopster]

Except for the fact that Felton is/was lightning fast up the floor and had an extremely explosive first step when driving to the basket.

Instead of Raymond Felton, how about Butch Lee!!!

[GOMU1104]

Dont forget about Singleton. He is in the class with Cadougan, Otule and Williams. That is a 4 man class, and a JUCO would make it 5. Even thought Singleton wont be on scholarship, he will likely be a contributer by the time he leaves.

[brewcity77]

Dont forget about Singleton. He is in the class with Cadougan, Otule and Williams. That is a 4 man class, and a JUCO would make it 5. Even thought Singleton wont be on scholarship, he will likely be a contributer by the time he leaves.

Irrelevant in my opinion. We're talking about balancing recruiting classes, which only factors in scholarship players. He'll get a prime spot on the media guide that year as a senior, any minutes he plays will be gravy, but his presence will have zero impact on our recruiting unless he ends up on scholarship, which I would say is highly unlikely at best.