Big Men

[tornado]

here's an interview that might shed some light on the recruitment of big men...

nobody in the BIG TEN needs a BIG MAN more than Tom Crean at Indiana...
he's offered and landed TWO 7-footers in the past 2 years, but despite both being built like prize fighters,
they are also both quite useless and inept, neither (Tijan Jobe, Bawa Muniru) being able to even crack the lineup for more than a minute here and there.
Muniru was even quite highly rated, a 6th year prep schooler - who was rated a Top 100 prospect!!

BUT here's what Tom Crean says in answer to question why he can't get a servicable big man!!
"..Crean was asked about recruiting more big men...
...a caller saying something along the lines of “I think the future of the IU
basketball program is going to be built on aircraft carriers, what’s your
comment on that?”

Crean responded that he certainly wanted to find more big men, but told the
caller that there aren’t a lot of “aircraft carrier” types around the country
and there aren’t any coming “on the horizon.”

(instead) He said that programs are built on “multi-checkmark guys,” who can
do a lot of things like shoot, pass and get the ball in the lane."


So if a Big Ten program can't find a big guy any better than those two guys who'd also have never been able to even get off the bench at the mid-major level...then it's not likely we're anywhere near the threashold of landing a big time contributor.

[bu fan 9]

That why college basketball is a gaurds games.

[BradleyBrave]

Then perhaps we should just give up, as I have said time and again. Sadly as it is to say to some, Tom Crean's definition of quality big men is likely more different than our is.

All I know is that ISU has found a way to find some over the years, and they're just a half hour down the road. I'm not asking for a Patrick O'Bryant in every class, but someone who can at least defend and rebound. I mean jeez, it has gotten to the point where I would take Matt Salley playing the 4 spot in a heartbeat (knocking TB to the 3), and he wasn't even that good.

[Dallas Brave]

You got to play the ones you have if you want to get more of them.

[Dallas Brave]

I did love the way the guards found Will on the roll for the first two baskets against UNI.

[jeffsu]

All I know is that ISU has found a way to find some over the years, and they're just a half hour down the road.

From first-year glance, a guy like Carmichael wouldn't be bad even... he's going to be TOUGH for the next few years.

[BradleyJD]

You got to play the ones you have if you want to get more of them.

You are going to have develop them as well. You are not likely to get a lot of quality, skilled big men. But with good coaching, you might get a lot of production out of them regardless.

[Da Coach]

Here is an example of how hard it is to find good big men.
Seton Hall of the Big East should be able to land 4 or 5-star big men, right? At least solid 3-star big men?
Seton Hall is a team that is starving for quality big men, and they are an undersized team compared to most of the other Big East teams. But until today, the only comittments they had gotten for 2010 were a couple guards, and a 6'5" forward.

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/commitlist.asp?Year=2010&Sport=2&School=68

Today, they just announced a verbal commitment from a 6'6" center/PF who is rated by Scout.com as a 1-star recruit--

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=4801807

Rivals does not even rate him.

[tornado]

Their desperation for a big man is why they're so willing to take chances on guys like Bawa, Jobe, and even John Riek, etc....

[Braves4Life]

From first-year glance, a guy like Carmichael wouldn't be bad even... he's going to be TOUGH for the next few years.

The guy is a STUD! And to think he was rated slightly below Prosser. let's hope Prosser can be on par with Carmichael.

[ImAStowellMan]

Well, with less and less to choose from, it sounds like this is going to be a matter of development. Maybe it would be easier to focus on finding a coach who can develop mediocre big men than the other way around...

[BradleyBrave]

Well, with less and less to choose from, it sounds like this is going to be a matter of development. Maybe it would be easier to focus on finding a coach who can develop mediocre big men than the other way around...

I was always told by coaches at every level "You can't teach size". So I am more of the ilk of recruiting the size and turning them into players as opposed to going for the finished product. Big men seem to take longer anyways, and apparently no one can find them. I think we have kind of tried to get the size, we just haven't done a great job of developing it. My concern comes from us seemingly pursuing many more players of the small variety than the big variety.

[ImAStowellMan]

I was always told by coaches at every level "You can't teach size". So I am more of the ilk of recruiting the size and turning them into players as opposed to going for the finished product. Big men seem to take longer anyways, and apparently no one can find them. I think we have kind of tried to get the size, we just haven't done a great job of developing it. My concern comes from us seemingly pursuing many more players of the small variety than the big variety.

That's what I was getting at BB. Obviously kids aren't going to be getting any smaller over the coming years. It's just going to be up to someone to turn them from mediocre nobodys into "overlooked stars." Much easier said than done, I'm sure, but what other options are there?

[real fan]

A6-8 or 6-9 250 lb. guy that is physical is what we need, we need one that can come off the bench and contribute as far as defending, rebounding and able to score, Egolf is getting better and Brown has also been great but we lack inside depth and with some decent help off the bench we would be hard to beat.

[lake Camelot]

I have been thinking for a couple years that we just need someone with the skills of Matt Salley. I had some problems with his play, but I think we lack the defense and steady rebounding he had. I'd love to have someone who could score more. I would take just adequete though.