Friar
Junior Member
Posts: 325
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Post by Friar on May 6, 2005 20:51:00 GMT -5
 Hey everyone, while it may appear matters are looking up lets not get to carried away. On paper all these recruits look fantastic. However, we have been on this road before. Some pan out and some don't. There is no way of knowing until the season rolls around. Sure, we can hope but that is all we have at this point. While it appears as though we have some fine recruits I remain skeptical on a few fronts. They are all "fine young men." Let me explain. A few of the recruits, namely Dave Fox, would not be at the top of any national recruiting powerhouse. I expect him to be a role player at best. Lex may or may not get in to school because of academics. He has a GED. Remember folks we need to be very careful about the type of student athletes we admit because of "the scandel." We don't know the full story behind Lex so lets say there is a 50/50 chance he will be admitted and have no further academic issues. Even our JUCO players are suspect. Look at Sol's previous history and it is very shaky when it comes to JUCO's. Lets hope for the best. Finally, Relph and Williams have not been what I would say are quality individuals. We all make mistakes, myself included, however we have to run a squeaky clean program. There should be no ifs, buts or ands about it! I want to win badly but in my opinion Relph and Williams should be suspended for the first semester this year. Relph needs help badly. He is no angel. This is the first posting on the new board. It will take some getting used to. Before I forget the Bonnies spring teams did fairly well. From mens baseball to women's softball, to the mens golf team to the women's lacrosse team not too bad.
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Post by jh on May 6, 2005 22:37:32 GMT -5
How do you have your big analysis of the class and leave of AJ Hawkins and Tyler Benson?? Or are their academics and playing ability at a good level so u wish not to mention them???
Why all the cry for "caution" ?? whatever happended to simply enjoying the best spring recruiting class in memory and complimenting the staff at doing so at such a difficult time???
Enjoy it !!!!! Good times are ahead indeed !!!
Its just hard not to think that much of the "caution" and the negative shots at the program...are a result of many folks calling for solomon;s head in the season and are too reluctant to admit that he just did what he was paid to do....recruit us out of this mess !!!!!!!!
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Post by Copenhagen on May 6, 2005 23:02:17 GMT -5
the 2-incoming freshman are the 2 of the bunch to get excited over....the 3-signed Juco-players are role players...ok, James if he does come would be exciting as well...
Coach has proved he can recruit, and that should even improve in the fall and even more as we move along...the question will be how he brings these players together as a team....how he coaches this team to wins.....
Can he find roles for 13 or 14 players? keeping them happy & productive....putting the players in the rotation in the best positions to be effective? out coach the other team to wins in the final minute of A10-games...
Recruiting was or is his first challenge of the new season...a promising start.....next step!
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Post by jh on May 7, 2005 6:27:24 GMT -5
Recruiting is EVERYTHING in college basketball !!
Its the biggest reason why so many college coaches fail in the pros....they lose the one thing that made them successful...they could recruit like crazy and then a Pitino or Calapari could beat you when they had the equivalent of 5 #1 draft choices to your 5 #4 draft choices........
Nobody brings in a FAB 5...but if u mean that juco Diggs 'plays a role' as a ball handler and distributor of the ball..I'd say thats a huge pickup considering this team lacked that last year.....a juco 6'11 240lb starting center who 'plays a role' of rebounder and inside presence would be a huge pickup too.....then we get to the transfers and the talented frosh......
Its very very good.
What would have brought this program down would not have been the scandal itself,,,but the consistent losing (single digit wins) that could have occurred if Sol was unable to recruit us out of this mess....
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Post by Chuck on May 7, 2005 7:25:26 GMT -5
I count 8 Solomon recruits who have played for the Bonnies and only Michael Lee has shown the potential to become a quality A-10 player. Everyone of these recruits received the same hoopla. I remember Andy Smith with his high scoring average and being a 2 time all state North Carolina player or the athletic 7 footer who originally signed with St. Johns, and was reported by his JUCO coach to have "NBA shot blocking ability." I could go on, but it would become redundant.
Like every other fan of the Bonnies, I enjoy the hoopla resulting from the signing of a new recruit, especially JH's knowledgeable posts. Every year I hope we find a JR Bremer that was overlooked or a PVP who develops into a star. I'm hopeful this recruiting class can become special and I believe Hawkins was a solid signing for Solomon (this year's Michael Lee), but so far Solomon has not proven he can "recruit us out of this mess" and there are reasons to be cautious.
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Post by Copenhagen on May 7, 2005 7:36:41 GMT -5
It is obvious that recuiting is one of the biggest aspects of college B-Ball....and maybe living in Manhattan for 12-years before moving here to Denmark....I am more in tuned to the pro game....but have to imagine that there is some coaching; X & O's, team chemistry kind of stuff that makes a team execute and achieve....when you get blown out every game maybe not so important but now that the talent level is raised and more of our games will be decided in the last minute or 2-minutes or....coaching could be the difference between 8-wins or 12....
I did not mean to disrespect the JUCO-transfers or the importance of role players...but given their past it is probably the best predictor of there future performance.....
Unless TylerR is suspended, he is the PG...he was brought in to be the PG & leader....hopefully he sees 30+-minutes a game because if he does, that means he is executing as expected....
Our team will have 2 or maybe 3 "go to" guys...isn't the other starters and rotation players "role" players....an important part of the team and the better executed the more wins we can rack in...
Of course after only 9-wins in 2-years it is easy to be cautious....but I would rather be optimist....and drink from the half full glass....at least until for now...
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Friar
Junior Member
Posts: 325
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Post by Friar on May 7, 2005 8:20:02 GMT -5
Upon further review of my late night posting I should have started out on a more positive note. Yes, we should all commend Sol and the coaching staff for their hard work in bringing in some fine young men. It is a hard job, even more so since "the scandal." Obviously it appears our beloved Bonnies are marching forward. Lets face it things can't get any worse than last year. We have no place else but to go up. The team has more experience and some house cleaning was done.
Perhaps it was the Phantom, whom many of you think is jaded, is on the mark. All these players come in with such high hope only to not live up to their billing. I too get impressed with all the hype surrounding these new recruits and hope they all live up to expectations. I am not trying to be negative but only a realist.
On paper we have a much better team. How is Sol going to get playing time for these guys? If he uses the same old player rotation as last year we may be in trouble again. While I have heard nothing but good comments about Sol the man I question some of his coaching. Grant it Sol knows alot more about basketball than me but I am not the only one to question Sol's coaching. Jimmy B. wasn't the greatest x's, and o's guy either.
Once again I commend Sol and his staff for their hard work and dedication. While I am hoping for the best I so very cautiously.
Peace, love, charity and hope.......The Friar
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Post by mangham on May 7, 2005 9:08:03 GMT -5
I agree with jh. Recruiting in college ball is everything. can name coaches(Cremins,Brown) that couldn't coach their way out of a paper bag yet still had top 10 teams. TEXTI like the approach Sol takes in starting high and then moving down. If you go to Scout and look at the number of players UCONN tried to get in with and didn't, you would be amazed! I give Anthony and his staff props for what they accomplished in the late signing period!
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Hey everyone, while it may appear matters are looking up lets not get to carried away. On paper all these recruits look fantastic. However, we have been on this road before. Some pan out and some don't. There is no way of knowing until the season rolls around. Sure, we can hope but that is all we have at this point.
