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Hell no! we dont want him if he can shoot. ... I have been a supporter of Geno from the start but I am starting to question his recruiting strategy
I think we have all been willing to give some time to see who is brought in and now in Geno's 4th recruiting cycle, I am anxious to see Tramique Sutherland, Donte Thomas, et all...
but in the first 3 recruiting cycles that signed or brought in Wells, Stewart, Crawford, Hodges, Shayok, Bell, Pickett, Fields, Grier, Tucker, Zecevic, Shaw, Barnes, and Blake - only a couple of those players have yet to give us any production, 1/3 of them are already gone - dismissed to open up scholarships for other options, and more than another 1/3 have pretty much proven little chance of getting any significant playing time.
I know recruiting isn't easy but other schools like Missouri State - whose new coach has been there less than ours, are 8-1 and not relying largely on holdover players for their production.
I think we have all been willing to give some time to see who is brought in and now in Geno's 4th recruiting cycle, I am anxious to see Tramique Sutherland, Donte Thomas, et all...
but in the first 3 recruiting cycles that signed or brought in Wells, Stewart, Crawford, Hodges, Shayok, Bell, Pickett, Fields, Grier, Tucker, Zecevic, Shaw, Barnes, and Blake - only a couple of those players have yet to give us any production, 1/3 of them are already gone - dismissed to open up scholarships for other options, and more than another 1/3 have pretty much proven little chance of getting any significant playing time.
I know recruiting isn't easy but other schools like Missouri State - whose new coach has been there less than ours, are 8-1 and not relying largely on holdover players for their production.
I guess what bothers me other than other teams holdovers giving their programs help is that , other schools seem to bring in Freshmen who also help their programs. We are not seeing either being done at the moment. This staff has had us in on talent we haven't seen the likes of since Tricky Dick was on the hilltop but until we start getting them on campus we're not going to see much improvement. Hope I'm wrong.
I guess what bothers me other than other teams holdovers giving their programs help is that , other schools seem to bring in Freshmen who also help their programs. We are not seeing either being done at the moment. This staff has had us in on talent we haven't seen the likes of since Tricky Dick was on the hilltop but until we start getting them on campus we're not going to see much improvement. Hope I'm wrong.
Can't say we haven't been in on talent since the coach who turned the program around so he had to be fired. Nice little dig at JL though. All of our coaches have talked to players who for obvious reasons went elsewhere. Over the years Bradley has been second choice to many players, or at least that's what we're always told when they go elsewhere.
The staff is doing a good job. Some Bradley fans fail to realize how bare the cupboard really was when JL was on his way out. They had some many recruits that you knew wouldn't translate to be ready for the valley. Stewart, Wells, Hodges, just to name a few. Doesn't mean they can't play just weren't going to be successful at this level. Jake Eastman was tough, great iq but by no means did I ever see the light out shooter he was made out to be. Prosser has been ok back up but never has been a game changer. Egolf was solid just injury prone, DSE was good. However, their hasn't been a collection of talent on the team since Ruffin graduated. Give Geno and the staff some time. Once he gets his guys in here, not just fillers to try to make BU better than they were the year before. Last year way less talent & athleticism, couldn't shoot, but had solid defenders and solid iq. This year way bigger overall, way more length and athleticism, can shoot a little better, not great iq tho.
BU is a tougher school to get into. The campus has zero WOW factor, Basketball Facilities and Markin are super nice however. Minimal Student Body Following, just a tougher place to recruit to. Staff has to find way to spice it up. Everybody talks about what a rich history Bradley has, well the kids now a days don't know anything about that time, they can barely remember the Sweet 16 berth. BU doesn't have recent history and that's tough thing to fight as well. I have confidence in this staff however, way more engaging, quality connections to recruit from, etc. Plus they are now starting to target Illinois prospects again and going after them hard. Central Illinois has some serious talent coming thru in the 2015 2016 2017 classes it will be interesting to see how hard BU goes after these kids.
I don't deny some recruits fail to pan out, that BU & Peoria re not easy to recruit to, that students are not easily enthused...
... but I do disagree with a lot of what you say
first - Hodges had nothing to do with Jim Les - he was recruited and brought in by GF after Les was fired
then - I think it's unfair to claim the cupboard was bare - like there were NO decent players left behind when JL was fired?
They said that about what Molinari left behind and of course, time proved he left a ton of talent behind & I think the same true here
At least 5 of them have gotten All-MVC mention or consideration at some point... Sam, Taylor Brown, Dyricus, Will, Walt & Remy would have been an instant contributor...in fact, of the 30 wins Geno has thus far, at least 25 of them would have been losses without those guys left behind in the cupboard.
and of the players being given their walking papers just to open up more scholarships, multiple are the ones Geno went out and got (Hodges, Crawford, Shayok - and I think we'll be seeing more in a few months..)
Had the cupboard truly been bare then Geno would have been running out what was left behind...
The staff is doing a good job. Some Bradley fans fail to realize how bare the cupboard really was when JL was on his way out. They had some many recruits that you knew wouldn't translate to be ready for the valley. Stewart, Wells, Hodges, just to name a few. Doesn't mean they can't play just weren't going to be successful at this level. Jake Eastman was tough, great iq but by no means did I ever see the light out shooter he was made out to be. Prosser has been ok back up but never has been a game changer. Egolf was solid just injury prone, DSE was good. However, their hasn't been a collection of talent on the team since Ruffin graduated. ....
Just thought it was funny that you barely mentioned DSE ("DSE was good"), when in fact he was more than just good, he was the MVC Defensive Player of the Year, and second on the team in scoring last year. He was also one of the nation's leaders in steals.
Will Egolf averaged in double figures for scoring for Geno last year, something that has been rare for a Bradley center over the years, and which no other center that Geno has recruited has come close to. He was also the team's best perimeter threat.
You also forgot to mention Taylor Brown, who was All MVC in Geno's first season, and the team's leading scorer.
And you completely forgot to mention Walt Lemon, who will be a multiple All MVC player, has been a double digit scorer all three years he played for Geno, and will lead the team in scoring for a second straight year.
There was also another All-MVC guard who would have been left in the cupboard if the administration had been honest with him and his parents (Sam M.). And there was an outstanding class of recruits that left because of the coaching change (part of the predicted fallout).
Maybe if you completely exclude and ignore all the scoring leaders, All-MVC players, DPOY, team leaders, and missing recruits, I can see how you might think "the cupboard was bare".
The problem with this team is not that "the cupboard was bare", but that the new staff has not brought home any groceries for 3 years.
12-20 last year of JL's run. With all that so called talent in the cupboard. Im not saying some of the guys weren't good players. TB, DSE, Walt were all solid when Geno took over. 2011-12 class was half JL's half Geno's, 2 totally different styles. Of coarse new staff had to make changes to fit style of play.
Walt was real good last year, struggling a little this year because no DSE quality guard along side him to take pressure off Walt. But like I said length size athleticism all better than a year ago. Lot of JUCO & Freshman that have to learn how to play, practice, and prepare for this level. Just have to start adding some skilled players/shooters to the mix of these athletes. Nobody shooting higher than 30 % from 3. That tough stat to look at.
They are only giving up 67.3ppg that's solid... just need to figure out way to put the ball in the hole! Im telling you Geno will get it going. I told people it would take 4 years from Geno's first full recruiting calendar for his ship to be sailing smoothly. We are on year 2 of that right now!
12-20 last year of JL's run. With all that so called talent in the cupboard. Im not saying some of the guys weren't good players. TB, DSE, Walt were all solid when Geno took over. 2011-12 class was half JL's half Geno's, 2 totally different styles. Of coarse new staff had to make changes to fit style of play.
Walt was real good last year, struggling a little this year because no DSE quality guard along side him to take pressure off Walt. But like I said length size athleticism all better than a year ago. Lot of JUCO & Freshman that have to learn how to play, practice, and prepare for this level. Just have to start adding some skilled players/shooters to the mix of these athletes. Nobody shooting higher than 30 % from 3. That tough stat to look at.
They are only giving up 67.3ppg that's solid... just need to figure out way to put the ball in the hole! Im telling you Geno will get it going. I told people it would take 4 years from Geno's first full recruiting calendar for his ship to be sailing smoothly. We are on year 2 of that right now!
I appreciate your opinion, but I wish I did not have to keep setting the record straight. The 12-20 year was with 2 key starters taken away from the team at the start of the season, with no time to recruit replacements, or to prepare without them. I think if Taylor Brown and Sam Maniscalco were healthy and able to play in 2010-11, the record would have been a lot better than 12-20, more like 20-12.
What would last year's record have been if Walt Lemon and Tyshon Pickett were taken off the team? Or this year?
To me "cupboard is bare" means no talent at all, not multiple All Conference players, DPOY's, and multiple team MVP's.
And how long before the "cupboard was bare" argument becomes moot? Shouldn't the new coach be responsible by year 3? Or 4?
I probably shouldn't have used the phrase cupboard was bare, should of went with what LEFTY just said, that there wasn't a bunch of talent left here either.
We all going to have opinions that differ on this situation. I respect them all. I don't claim to know everything, this is just my opinion. I think Geno is doing a good job of turning it around: I just have more patience I guess than most. Im not a die hard BU fan, I enjoy watching them and hope they do well. Im on here because I enjoy reading and discussing hoops.
There will be things many of you know, that I don't. But trust me I got some info in my sleeve as well.
virtually all the best players so far with maybe just one exception - in the 2 1/2 years Geno's been here are the ones he inherited...
if they aren't a "bunch of great talent" as you say then it's more of an indictment of the talent Geno has brought
if you use the argument that we can't tell yet about geno's talent then we should say the same thing about the talent left here when JL left.
They all did turn out to be pretty good and become all of GF's best players
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I have been a supporter of Geno from the start but I am starting to question his recruiting strategy
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