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A year ago BU was recruiting big man Cassin Diggs, but he chose to go to Pitt, now he's unhappy with playing time prospects and is leaving to transfer elsewhere.
IIRC, Diggs was one of the top rated JUCO big men in the country. Just goes to show what kind of a crapshoot JUCO recruiting can be. I think BU is fortunate to have done as well as we have with JUCO's, but also think that our trending towards the 4 year player is a wise move for the reason stated above.
Diggs is like Shang Ping, DeAaron Williams, and so many others who wanted to play at the highest level and chose to go to a BCS-type school.
I just can't understand how these guys can SO overestimate their own realistic abilities and not see the mistake they are making, but then, who am I to question, except the kid could have been an Eric Coleman or Brandon Sampay had he gone mid-major.
Diggs is like Shang Ping, DeAaron Williams, and so many others who wanted to play at the highest level and chose to go to a BCS-type school.
I just can't understand how these guys can SO overestimate their own realistic abilities and not see the mistake they are making, but then, who am I to question, except the kid could have been an Eric Coleman or Brandon Sampay had he gone mid-major.
I don't think all of the blame can be placed on the kids. So often these kids have 'handlers', meddling family members, and even coaches who seem to have their own personal interests in mind rather than the player's. I think they're just as guilty for the overinflated egos and overestimation of talent as anyone.
Yeah WHY would a guy go to a POWER conference instead of lil ole BU. We can't compete against the Big East...just ask DePaul. Pitt, Rutgers, Cincy and a few others.
I don't think all of the blame can be placed on the kids. So often these kids have 'handlers', meddling family members, and even coaches who seem to have their own personal interests in mind rather than the player's. I think they're just as guilty for the overinflated egos and overestimation of talent as anyone.
I really don't blame the kids at all in these type of situations. Put yourself in Cassin Diggs' shoes...You are 6'10", you are a star on your JUCO team, recruiting sites have rated you as one of the best JUCO prospects in the country, you are a legitimate high major prospect, and on and on and on...
Jamie Dixon calls and wants you to play at Pitt...in one of the top college basketball conferences in the country. He raves about your game, says "you would be a perfect fit in our offensive and defensive schemes, and you are the missing piece that we need to give us a legitimate chance to win a National Championship...with players X, Y, and Z leaving there will be plenty of minutes available to you from day 1...and by your senior year, I see no reason that you won't be an All-Big East player with a great shot at being an impact player at the next level. I'm hoping you sign with Pitt so we can get started toward accomplishing these team and individual goals."
Then, you go back home, and your JUCO coach tells you how you are the best big man he's ever coached and how it always been a dream of his to be able to say that he coached a kid that starred in the Big East and the NBA...and that you are the guy that can make all of these things a reality. Your parents are ecstatic because they will get to watch you on ESPN...Your friends tell you that you are gonna dominate Thabeet and Hibbert...You've got 'handlers' that tell you that playing at a big-time program in the Big East is your best way to get to the NBA...etc., etc., etc.
So, if you are Cassin Diggs in this situation, what are you supposed to do? Assume that Jamie Dixon is lying to you? That Van Coleman, Jucojunction, Rivals, Scout, etc. are all completely wrong about your potential as a player? That your JUCO coach is lying to you as well? Of course not...You have confidence in your abilities, Jamie Dixon has professed his confidence in you and how you will help Pitt win a National Championship...you like the school and the people there, so you sign with Pitt...
Sometimes it just doesn't work out, but I don't blame the kid in that situation...
It kind of looks like Pitt is going to "go smaller".
Not only did they lose 7-footer Aaron Gray last fall, but now 6-11 Cassin Diggs.
And they have a 5-man recruiting class coming in next fall as shown here, mostly small guys.
(5-11, 6-2, 6-3, 6-5, 6-8 )
and they don't have anyone else above the freshman level who is over 6-8.
and the only 6-8 guy they have is their 8th leading scorer, all the other playing time minutes are smaller guys.
As long as they have DeJuan Blair, I wouldn't really say that Pitt is "going small." The guy may only be 6'7'', but he's got long arms and is one of the better defenders and rebounders in the country. Losing Diggs isn't really going to change Pittsburgh's plans much.
I don't think all of the blame can be placed on the kids. So often these kids have 'handlers', meddling family members, and even coaches who seem to have their own personal interests in mind rather than the player's. I think they're just as guilty for the overinflated egos and overestimation of talent as anyone.
Why blame kids or parents. A coach who recruits a juco isn't telling him you probably won't play much if you come here but we will offer you a schollie anyway. Coaches are not in the business to waste scholarships but sometimes they make mistakes, that's the way it goes.
...sometimes they make mistakes, that's the way it goes.
Of course, but that's the point, they are so misled with stars in their eyes, and perhaps sometimes false hopes fed to them by recruiters and handlers.
Of course they have every right to go to the biggest and best school they want, but as we have detailed, a ton of them are aiming too high and wasting a signifcant part of their eligibility.
Perhaps if a kid plays less than 8 minutes per game and scores less than 5 ppg, there should be a one time exclusion if he transfers, so a juco kid like this doesn't spend three years just finishing the final two years of his education.
Of course, but that's the point, they are so misled with stars in their eyes, and perhaps sometimes false hopes fed to them by recruiters and handlers.
Of course they have every right to go to the biggest and best school they want, but as we have detailed, a ton of them are aiming too high and wasting a signifcant part of their eligibility.
Perhaps if a kid plays less than 8 minutes per game and scores less than 5 ppg, there should be a one time exclusion if he transfers, so a juco kid like this doesn't spend three years just finishing the final two years of his education.
I'm talking the coaches are the one who make mistakes T...they are not recruiting juco's to sit the bench. My guess most every coach who recruits a juco believes that juco is going to contribute next season.
I don't know why recruiters would give false hopes,why waste a scholarship? The kids are only aiming high because BCS coaches are recruiting them. Now if you want to talk about the difference between playing maybe 32-35 min or 15-18 min then that would be a different
story.
Also some kids may want the NCAA shot the next two years instead of all the playing time.
I hear you, but in my conversations with the same ex-BU coach that you know well, I have heard him say that perhaps the hardest thing about coaching at this level is trying to recruit kids by making them think they are at the top of your wish list and making them think they are sure to get playing time ( because if you don't leave them with this opinion, some other coach will and you'll never land anyone), but in the end, you know at least half the team is going to get LESS playing time than they believe they were going to get.
Along the same line, another 6-11 kid is leaving Colorado.
Caleb Patterson had several mid-majors recruiting him (Wichita State,
Tulsa, Texas A&M, Lehigh, South Florida, Bucknell, San Jose State, Texas-Arlington and Oral Roberts), but took the offer to play in the Big 12 for Colorado.
He is another kid who aimed too high.
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