So, seriously, does someone who follows recruiting closely have a read on NU's fall targets?
- Thread starter NUCat320
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Maybe this year will be like Carmody's old style where two seemingly random players would sign right at the deadline without us ever hearing a word about them. Just hope it's not someone from Luxembourg.
Google Anthony Gaines 6'4" SG who according to reports likes to take the ball to the hoop which is unlike any player on the current roster. There are reports of recruits visiting NU for upcoming football games. I would think that Collins has some recruiting visits scheduled for 9/24 for UNL at NU football game. And I am sure that Collins has other offers out there. Please don't make any comparisons to BC recruiting that shows your lack of insight.
There is no info out there on recruits. Read the Collins interview on one of the other sites. He gives up nothing.
If anyone represents that they know what's going on with NU recruiting and they are not on staff they're pretty much full of shit.
If anyone represents that they know what's going on with NU recruiting and they are not on staff they're pretty much full of shit.
Ok. Google 247sports and Anthony Gaines and there is a 100 percent chance of him going to NU but anyone other than someone on the NU ball staff knows anything about recruiting. Ok.
247 had Tomas Murphy 100% going to FLA and he verballed to Northeastern............take their predictions with a huge pinch of NaCl.....
I agree with everyone who says no one has a clue where NU is with its recruiting direction. The kid who did the best job with this recently switched jobs. So there's not much more knowledge out there than anybody who can perform a good five-minute search. That's why we have all the knuckleheads with the sky-is-falling scenarios, pretending they know what they're talking about.
Gee, Northwestern with a below-par-to-mediocre recruiting class? Who can see that coming?
If you want to be reasonable about this:
a) It doesn't take much to make a reasonable hunch.
I don't know if I follow this closely enough to have much more of an understanding than anyone else with access to Google. But, unlike many, I can usually put together 2+2.
My next unfortunate hunch ... I wouldn't bet the house on Flagg. I believe NU was late to the game on him,and jumped in this summer. I'd never bet on that type of commitment to a distant program that is nowhere near established.
b) Understand that it is laughable to even begin to make conclusions about a recruiting class in the September before the November signing day. Off the top of my head from a Northwestern-only perspective, I can point to Geno Carlisle, Joe Harmsen, Jitim Young, Kyle Rowley, Vedran Vukusic, Michael Thompson the guard, Michael Thompson the center, John Shurna, Kevin Coble and Reggie Hearn who didn't perform positively or negatively anywhere near their original rating/hype.
c) Anyone wants to question the direction of recruiting and maybe the program? I can understand it to an extent. It's year 4: There's no tournament, and we're at that point where CC is starting - I emphasize STARTING - to make his own bed. Questions are reasonable. And as I've said in the past, you get to a point where you need to be able to walk into a living room with something solid on your program's resume - even if it's a marginal as an NIT.
d) I know we're all about myopic analysis - no consideration for previous years, where NU lands in the process, the idea that these guys are still fighting the same challenges or the state of the "marketplace." But for those with some perspective, you might want to consider that Purdue, Maryland, MSU and OSU have 14 scholarships available and one commitment between the four of them. Also, only 14 of ESPN's top 50 have committed.
Gee, Northwestern with a below-par-to-mediocre recruiting class? Who can see that coming?
If you want to be reasonable about this:
a) It doesn't take much to make a reasonable hunch.
I don't know if I follow this closely enough to have much more of an understanding than anyone else with access to Google. But, unlike many, I can usually put together 2+2.
My next unfortunate hunch ... I wouldn't bet the house on Flagg. I believe NU was late to the game on him,and jumped in this summer. I'd never bet on that type of commitment to a distant program that is nowhere near established.
b) Understand that it is laughable to even begin to make conclusions about a recruiting class in the September before the November signing day. Off the top of my head from a Northwestern-only perspective, I can point to Geno Carlisle, Joe Harmsen, Jitim Young, Kyle Rowley, Vedran Vukusic, Michael Thompson the guard, Michael Thompson the center, John Shurna, Kevin Coble and Reggie Hearn who didn't perform positively or negatively anywhere near their original rating/hype.
c) Anyone wants to question the direction of recruiting and maybe the program? I can understand it to an extent. It's year 4: There's no tournament, and we're at that point where CC is starting - I emphasize STARTING - to make his own bed. Questions are reasonable. And as I've said in the past, you get to a point where you need to be able to walk into a living room with something solid on your program's resume - even if it's a marginal as an NIT.
d) I know we're all about myopic analysis - no consideration for previous years, where NU lands in the process, the idea that these guys are still fighting the same challenges or the state of the "marketplace." But for those with some perspective, you might want to consider that Purdue, Maryland, MSU and OSU have 14 scholarships available and one commitment between the four of them. Also, only 14 of ESPN's top 50 have committed.
They might have been random! Thankfully that seems to be in the past.
What's interesting about Carmody's recruiting attitude is that perhaps because he hated recruiting, he seemed to recruit HS kids who shared that attitude. Then when those guys became Wildcats, they were less than enthralled with recruiting HS kids during officials and unofficials.
Still wondering about that. Did his grades crash or did Northeastern hire his AAU coach?
pretty sure Pat Baldwin was one of the 1st coaches to recruit Flagg - don't think we were late on him at all.
there are 2 on-campus visits coming in September. Let's see how those play out.
NU is in unique position where they return a lot of minutes guys. not you recruit impact guys and bump down as you see fit. worst case scenario we end up with guys similar to who have we have without a goodwin impact type guy. recruiting is fine even if we the public don't hear about it.
Haywood - you're more plugged in than most, of course.
What do you expect to happen come November? Any among the Flagg/Nwora/Gaines group, or anyone else you think is a possibility?
I'm sure that the staff has a plan A, B and C for recruits. Collins will get some guys--and he'll get the best guys he can. I love that he is going after blue chip recruits, but it's no surprise that we are missing on a lot of these top targets who have an array of great options.
The sales pitch that Collins and staff have at their disposal is respectable--in fact, better than ever--but not elite. We can offer:
* Top notch education (Few can compete)
* Very nice campus and access to a great American city (Few can compete)
* Exciting coaching staff and great guys on the current team (Certainly well above average)
* B1G stage and TV airtime (Recently the best conference in America, but perhaps slipping the past few years)
* Halfway decent basketball program in recent years with winning seasons 5 of the last 8 years (Still below average among Power Conference and serious mid-major peers)
* Improving facilities (Well below average among Power Conference peers and probably also below average among serious mid-major competition)
* The promise of doing something never done before (Wildcard. Depends on the recruit)
* Fan support (Pretty abysmal compared to Power Conference teams. Probably average mid-major level.)
Building a program is a process. I wish that we could short-cut the growing pains. But as long as Collins and company continue to punch above our weight class in recruiting, things are moving in the right direction. Fan support will come with winning and so will facilities investments.
For now, it's on the staff to coach our guys up and on the current team to win games. We are not going to be the team that wins with stud freshmen and sophomores. We are going to be the team that wins with experienced players and some depth. (And I know that this is a challenge that the staff and team welcome!)
I am a lot more optimistic about the upcoming season than most on this board (from what I gather). I expect that we'll make a serious run at the Tournament this year. From a recruiting standpoint, this will make things a lot easier.
I liked someone's "Pound The Rock" analogy applied to recruiting. The staff keeps chipping away every day with little evidence of results, but I am certain that big chunks will start/continue to fall off if they keep on this path.
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That would be great if we can make a tourney run. Cohill, Carmody and Finke may be easier gets as well as a big man for next year. I suspect Gaines and it would be great to get either Flagg or Nwora. Flagg likely would have a more immediate impact
