Best Recruiting Class Ever?

[ewenke13]

After the conclusion of our amazing 2017-18 season, I had pretty low expectations initially going into the off-season.  I mean how much more can we really expect?!? Stockard played amazing down the stretch, Griffin is back and will likely be even better and Kaputo offers a solid upperclassman presence with Poyser finally set to debut.  Recruiting looked promising early, but wow have we really put together some big "gets" over the past few weeks.  I am as optimistic as ever about the future and think even the floor of the basketball program is now higher than ever before.  I have followed the Bonnies since childhood but really haven't been much into recruiting until recently.  Since my knowledge of recruiting history isn't that high, I would really like to get the opinion of the Bona faithful that have been beating the drum for decades.  What are your thoughts on this being Schmidt's best recruiting class ever and where the incoming class ranks all-time at St. Bonaventure?  I guess it's hard to compare recent classes to those decades ago, but certainly this is worth some discussion.  This has to at least be all-time top-3 for the Bonnies and Schmidt's best ever! 

[123Rob]

Isaiah Stewart. Paging Isaiah Stewart

[ceharv]

All hyperbole aside, can anyone else recall a recruiting class that PROSPECTIVELY matches this one? For now, understanding no one has done a blessed thing on the court, all we can go on is potential and achievements at the high school level, but when have we ever had a group that carries this much hope? From what I have always heard, the Lanier class was not considered too much because Lanier himself was not considered a top prospect while in high school. Didn’t he only hold offers from us and Canisius, with our offer coming relatively late? That class only became great after Lanier became Cover-of-Sports Illustrated-good, so not from the start. So what other classes have there been that might compete for best-ever status coming in? Who else was in Tim Winn’s group?
Speaking of coming in, I wonder if some or all of these guys will come on campus during the summer to get a head start on academics. Does the Program still do that?

[mjf4428]

I just look at it as when was the last time we had 4 Freshman walk in with the potential this class has. What a foundation for the future. Plus the present looks bright too.

[efsboca]

May 21, 2018 19:32:11 GMT -5 ceharv said:

All hyperbole aside, can anyone else recall a recruiting class that PROSPECTIVELY matches this one? For now, understanding no one has done a blessed thing on the court, all we can go on is potential and achievements at the high school level, but when have we ever had a group that carries this much hope? From what I have always heard, the Lanier class was not considered too much because Lanier himself was not considered a top prospect while in high school. Didn’t he only hold offers from us and Canisius, with our offer coming relatively late? That class only became great after Lanier became Cover-of-Sports Illustrated-good, so not from the start. So what other classes have there been that might compete for best-ever status coming in? Who else was in Tim Winn’s group?
Speaking of coming in, I wonder if some or all of these guys will come on campus during the summer to get a head start on academics. Does the Program still do that?

I thought Cyrus came in with Winn making that a nice 1-2 punch. This class is a 1-2-3-4 punch. I can’t see any other class since I’ve been out in the early ‘80’s that would have this kind of athleticism, depth, and potential. I am super excited for next year. BTW, the 1-2-3-4 does not include melki and Bobby. I was just referring to the true frosh.

The video said that Kyle was not at the banquet because he was already at school, and that he was watching, so I’d say yes. I assume Double O will be on his way in the next few weeks or sooner.

[oquatanginwann]

Let this just be a really good class. No need to apply unfair pressure to the new kids.

Also, it’s funny how Bob Lanier is painted as some sort of bumbling, rotund, uncoordinated blob coming into SBU. By all accounts from those who were there and involved, the guy was a complete killer from the mf’ing git-go (Fide, Bona). Of course, he got into top shape between his frosh and soph years, but Big Bob was always a superb player.

[ohs73]

Have to see how the next 4-5 years play out to provide the answer.

It has the "po" to be a strong class.

[nairbssur]

I would like to extend a big thank you to all the Pitt fans that made this possible.

[Hermit]

Of course. I have the advantage of perspective. I go back a ways.
I will say the best recruiting class Bonnies ever had was ‘56, I believe, when Bonnies got Sam Stith, and whoever.
Let’s not think short term.
Sam brought Tom.
Sam and Tom brought Freddie.
The trio brought Miles Aiken.
Miles was averaging 23 and 14 before he got hurt. That team could have been something! Miles and Freddie?
What im saying is if it wasn’t for that scenario, where would Bonnies be?
Nowhere.
(Bonnies did lose to Ohio State, by 2!, a team I consider one of the best of all time).
The teams of that era showed that bona, (Who?) could compete with anyone.
That’s where it started.
There is a reason the Stith brothers , and Freddie, are honored at the RC.
That was the seed.
Everything else grew from that.

[viewfrommertonsheart]

Let's not over do the 'if not for them, where would Bonas be?' thing. Our tradition is not that strong when you consider we have 1, ONE, NCAA tourney win in the past 48 years and it was a round of 68 game .

[class70]

I don't want to make invidious comparisons. We all have our generational loyalties. However, though only time will validate it, this is the first time in ages that I've felt the Bonnies are back as a national power.

[thebonafan08]

Incredible step for the program. National power? Let’s hit the breaks.

[Chuck]

May 22, 2018 6:45:22 GMT -5 viewfrommertonsheart said:

Our tradition is not that strong when you consider we have 1, ONE, NCAA tourney win in the past 48 years and it was a round of 68 game .

I think a better way of looking at it is Bona has been to 3 NCAA tournaments in the last 18 years. Bonnies have been more than respectable with a double over time loss to Kentucky, 3 point loss to 10th ranked Florida State and the win over UCLA. Bonnies have been to 2 NCAA tournaments in the last 7 years, which is really impressive when you consider it took 22 years for Bonnies to return to NCAA after Final 4 team.

With Schmidt I'm expecting Bonnies will become a more frequent visitor to NCAA Tournaments.

[thesenator]

thank you, hermit, for providing the perspective that only a senior member of this board could provide...those guys (and culminating with the nit championship team in '77) turned potential into performance and has only been seen in exceptional seasons since...so here's hoping this group of potentially fine recruits will turn their potential into performance that will exceed 1 exceptional season and be cause for us to talk about for years to come...

[fjs64]

May 21, 2018 20:31:42 GMT -5 Hermit said:

Of course. I have the advantage of perspective. I go back a ways.
I will say the best recruiting class Bonnies ever had was ‘56, I believe, when Bonnies got Sam Stith, and whoever.
Let’s not think short term.
Sam brought Tom.
Sam and Tom brought Freddie.
The trio brought Miles Aiken.
Miles was averaging 23 and 14 before he got hurt. That team could have been something! Miles and Freddie?
What im saying is if it wasn’t for that scenario, where would Bonnies be?
Nowhere.
(Bonnies did lose to Ohio State, a team I consider one of the best of all time).
The teams of that era showed that bona, (Who?) could compete with anyone.
That’s where it started.
There is a reason the Stith brothers are honored at the RC.
That was the seed.
Everything else grew from that.

Sam played in 3 NIT's, when the NIT was bigger than the NCAA Tournament......Tom did 2 NITs and 1 NCAA....it could have been 4 NCAA's. (but there were good reasons for that not being the case, freshman not eligible, playing tournament games in the racially biased south).