[quote=“NinerAdvocate, post:57, topic:25400”]That analysis completely ignores the facts that we have not 1, but 2 scholarships open, that this player is actually a big center, not a 3pt specialist wing player, and that this player may be perfectly happy in his projected role here, whereas Ghokan was not. Similarly, all the guards you mentioned are… guards, and therefore irrelevent to a discussion of big men. And didn’t Trevin leave before Major was hired, and after BOBBY LUTZ told him he wouldn’t get a scholarship?
At the very least, this gives us a practice player for Bras, KJ and thorne to bang against. If he’s okay with that, then everyone wins. The last scholly is probably being held for Uchebo or pocketed for a deep 2012 big man class.
Last, if this gets us an in with United Faith, then it will pay dividends down the road.[/quote]
As NA said, it’s sometimes important to recruit guys who understand that they are role players. Guys who aren’t expecting to come in and be competing to be the star on the team. You need people who know that they are here to do the dirty work, or just come in and spell a guy for a few minutes and bang around down in the paint. Maybe that’s what Major knew he was getting with this guy.
Plus, I’m sure he wasn’t coach Major’s 1st choice, but coach knew we needed the depth in the frontcourt and this guy could knock down a couple of open shots.
I seriously doubt this guy gives us any offense at all. Open or not.
I think CharSF is all over the reason we recruited him. Major is trying to build bonds with local schools. As for why Colby Lewis didn’t get a scholarship, his brother has already said NCSU all the way. That would be a waste of a scholarship.
Hootie has always banged this drum. Why give “project” or “practice player” scholarships to people who live on the other side of the country when you can give them to people in your backyard that will build better relations with the community? This is a diplomatic move.
NA made very good points as well. This is probably a guy who understands his role in our program and accepts it. Gokhan at C? That is laughable. Kid was a killer shooter, but a supreme liability on D.
FYI, Colby did get a scholarship for the 2nd semester. But if you think for that would have kept TL from going to the ACC then your “mental capacity” isn’t something you should bring up.
[quote=“Powerbait, post:62, topic:25400”]I seriously doubt this guy gives us any offense at all. Open or not.
I think CharSF is all over the reason we recruited him. Major is trying to build bonds with local schools. As for why Colby Lewis didn’t get a scholarship, his brother has already said NCSU all the way. That would be a waste of a scholarship.
Hootie has always banged this drum. Why give “project” or “practice player” scholarships to people who live on the other side of the country when you can give them to people in your backyard that will build better relations with the community? This is a diplomatic move.
NA made very good points as well. This is probably a guy who understands his role in our program and accepts it. Gokhan at C? That is laughable. Kid was a killer shooter, but a supreme liability on D.[/quote]
Seriously, I don’t think it is that hard to understand.
In regards to Colby/Tyler. Tyler was one kid at one school that doesn’t put out near the talent that UFA does on the regular, so it’s more like teaching a man to fish rather then giving him a fish.
[font=Arial][size=11px]i dont believe that getting this kid is gonna give us an in to ufa. do we really think that landing this kid is gonna help us land the braxton obezues of the world? im not buying it.[/size][/font]
I don’t recall saying he’d give us an “in” to their top talent, it’s not a hard concept to understand how to build a relationship, and reap those benefits. We are currently recruiting the starting SG/SF for UFA (can’t recall his name), who at one point was a “to sign at any moment” kid. I have no idea how true it was/is, but he is Eastern European, and one of their better players (although I saw him and wasn’t overly impressed).
Think of the former Wabash CC relationship, just at a better talent level.
FYI, Colby did get a scholarship for the 2nd semester. But if you think for that would have kept TL from going to the ACC then your “mental capacity” isn’t something you should bring up.[/quote]
I think giving Colby a scholarship would have had as much impact as giving Ilija a scholarship.
Since I’m really stupid, I have a hard time seeing how someone else will be influenced to come to Charlotte due to us giving a scholarship to a kid who likely couldn’t get a D1 scholarship offer. A kid who graduated high school two years ago. I’m kinda stupid like that.
The coaching staff has met or exceeded recruiting expectations to this point, have they not?
I’ll trust the coaching staff on this one. If they think he fits a need (whether that need is a practice player, 5 more fouls, an in at United Faith, or whatever) then lets just see how it pans out. He’s only got 2 years here, anyway, so his signing doesn’t bog down this class or set us back in any way. We still have another scholarship to give or hold, too.
I’m trying to understand why Survivor’s dander is up, yet again… Is it personal with Major?
I don’t particularly want to get into an argument over a projected backup/practice player, but the logical incongruities and apparent grudge driving the criticism…
Look, the 12th or 13th guy on your bench is just that. You’re arguing whether we should have just taken a walk on from wherever, or scholarship our eleventeenth wing… When, apparently we have just begun trying to build a tie to a local powerhouse prep program. If you want to know why, look no further than Major’s predecessor. I get no joy from implicating Lutz, but logically, you leave no choice. From numerous sources he had a horrible rep with local coaches (probably disagreements over which of their kids we should be looking at vs who Lutz wanted to see). Whether it was earned legitimately or not, Major has said from day 1 that he wanted to recruit locally which requires us to mend some of those broken bridges. Also, we now have a football program trying to recruit locally as well (definitely our best bet for so many reasons), so it’s doubly important. UFA may not be the best test case for that theory, but it certainly appears that it falls within the general philosophy.
NA, I don’t agree with the 12th or 13th guy argument. There’s nothing saying that Sherrill or Thorne can’t be that 12th or 13th guy. I think the idea or hope is that any new recruit isn’t going to be that 12th or 13th guy. Your hoping to upgrade talent.
Having said that, I think the signing is pretty clear and simple. We need a big man for next season. The 2011 recruiting class is running out of time. You have to believe the coaches feel this was the best big man we could land. Or at least is the best big man that might fit the current system. Whether that means they feel he has potential to be developed, or can simply help in defense and rebounding, who knows.
If we have an injury to Braswell or Thorne, giving Colby Lewis a scholarship doesn’t help us at all. We needed another big and it looks like that’s what we got.
I agree that you are trying to upgrade talent, but in all reality, many of these guys would transfer out before they even became the 12th or 13th guy. Heck, Sirin transferred out after being the 8th guy. I think (or hope) both the staff and Ivankovic know that he wasn’t brought in here to be ‘the guy’. And they are both ok with that.
Although I’m not jumping for joy on this signing, the staff feels like he can contribute in some way. I’m excited about the overall class and one thing I’m happy about is it looks like we won’t just simply ‘run out of bodies’ next year like we did last year.
I don’t think this recruit is intended to be a “practice player”. He’s going to play backup minutes next year, assuming he doesn’t make us all eat our words and does better (however unlikely that may be). I think the coaching staff probably feels this is the best they can get at this point, and the player will at least be capable of defending the post (with their guidance). Personally, I think the scholarship is better used on a real project with four years to develop, but then that could tie up the scholarship for a better player down the road. As I mentioned before, I wonder if it might be better to hold the scholarship, but then the coaches can’t afford another year like last year where gaping holes in the lineup just killed us for most of the season.
Sirin was not a post player. He got blown off the blocks every time he tried to defend and rebound down there. This recruit at least has the size to play D in the post (though we can all withhold judgment on whether he can actually do that). Sirin had wing shooting ability, center foot speed, sg rebounding and weight at best. I still wish Sirin had stuck around and tried to put on some weight to play in the post, but maybe he’d be even slower. On a team with few post players, his skills/speed/size combo just doesn’t work, especially when the philosophy is to emphasize defense. Scoring averages matter little when you undermine the other end even worse (as was the case with Bowden).
I agree that you are trying to upgrade talent, but in all reality, many of these guys would transfer out before they even became the 12th or 13th guy. Heck, Sirin transferred out after being the 8th guy. I think (or hope) both the staff and Ivankovic know that he wasn’t brought in here to be ‘the guy’. And they are both ok with that. [/quote]
I’m not sure I understand your point. If you bring in somebody, who bumps a previous player from 7th to 8th in the depth chart, isn’t that a good thing?
I agree that I hope Ivankovic and the coaching staff on the same page as far as expectations. But I hope that for every recruit.
What you said about depth is essentially what I was trying to say too. We needed a big. We got a big.
[quote=“jfickett, post:68, topic:25400”]First, welcome to Charlotte, Ilija.
The coaching staff has met or exceeded recruiting expectations to this point, have they not?
I’ll trust the coaching staff on this one. If they think he fits a need (whether that need is a practice player, 5 more fouls, an in at United Faith, or whatever) then lets just see how it pans out. He’s only got 2 years here, anyway, so his signing doesn’t bog down this class or set us back in any way. We still have another scholarship to give or hold, too.[/quote]
THIS THIS THIS
coaching staff as exceeded my expectations so far as well, we got some great recruits and they were desperately needed
;D