UR basketball

[Ulla1]

Nice article. Spiders are in good shape for the future. Love our coaches. Love our players. Roll Spide!

http://www.richmond.com/sports/chri...cle_f30f3ccc-5244-5367-ae71-ea2e8bb562a3.html

 

[spider23]

Well, I do happen to agree that we are in good shape next year IF, IF Solly is who I think he is, AND Grant can come back with no issues, and his re-adjustment period is not too bad. I do like Solly as a big wing, who can cover the 4 when needed. In that scenario, I really think a stud grad transfer on the interior would be perfect for this team.

 

[UR Fan 2]

All admissions decisions at the undergraduate level are made by the office of enrollment-management, the office of admissions,” said Gill. “All admissions decisions at the graduate level are made by the (graduate) school or college.

I think this is the point of the article. Gill is basically saying we are a good team but could have been a great one if admissions were a bit more flexible in admitting Barnard and Avila.

 

[Ulla1]

All admissions decisions at the undergraduate level are made by the office of enrollment-management, the office of admissions,” said Gill. “All admissions decisions at the graduate level are made by the (graduate) school or college.

I think this is the point of the article. Gill is basically saying we are a good team but could have been a great one if admissions were a bit more flexible in admitting Barnard and Avila.

Yep.

 

[Wood Hall]

All admissions decisions at the undergraduate level are made by the office of enrollment-management, the office of admissions,” said Gill. “All admissions decisions at the graduate level are made by the (graduate) school or college."

Which is exactly how it should be.

 

[UR Fan 2]

Which is exactly how it should be.

Mooney does not make offers to these guys unless he thought there was a pretty good chance of them getting in. If men's basketball is our flagship sport, where are the published requirements for these recruits and transfers? And is there a graduating scale? Meaning if the published(or unpublished but known) requirement is a 2.5 gpa and the kid has a 2.2 gpa coming from say Duke but he happens to be a top 5 player in the country, are there exceptions made? If you want to take men's bball past the Sweet 16 I am hoping the answer is yes.

maybe tie your financial support decisions to the the answers to the above questions....

 

[URSpider95]

The primary reason we've seen an uptick in incoming transfers (Cline, Wood, Abakah, Stansbury) is because we've had an increase in outgoing transfers (Tim Singleton, Josh Jones, Kadeen Smithen, Chandler Diekvoss, KoVien Dominaus)

 

[fan2011]

The primary reason we've seen an uptick in incoming transfers (Cline, Wood, Abakah, Stansbury) is because we've had an increase in outgoing transfers (Tim Singleton, Josh Jones, Kadeen Smithen, Chandler Diekvoss, KoVien Dominaus)

There has also been an incredible increase in transfers across all of D1. On average there are over two transfers out of each D1 program every year, that is just how college basketball is right now.

 

[97spiderfan]

There has also been an incredible increase in transfers across all of D1. On average there are over two transfers out of each D1 program every year, that is just how college basketball is right now.

Point is, we are in the market for transfers because our recruiting has been substandard. All of those guys mentioned with the exception of Josh Jones were guys we recruited who were not only not A-10 level recruits but really D-1 level recruits. We wouldn't need to nab transfers if we did a better job with recruiting.

 

[Ulla1]

Point is, we are in the market for transfers because our recruiting has been substandard. All of those guys mentioned with the exception of Josh Jones were guys we recruited who were not only not A-10 level recruits but really D-1 level recruits. We wouldn't need to nab transfers if we did a better job with recruiting.

97, great point. The uptick in our recruiting the last two years will be paying large dividends now and in the foreseeable future. It may be painful for some to acknowledge, but if Chris has talent, he will coach them up and win.

 

[sdspider]

I don't think were in as good of shape as we think for next year we are losing Cline who is potentially the Atlantic 10 player of the year and Jones another all Atlantic 10 player. I think we take a step back next year. And yes I'm still pissed about losing Avila and Malcolm I think we would've had another NCAA appearance and one this year if both those guys got in

 

[SpiderGuy]

97, great point. The uptick in our recruiting the last two years will be paying large dividends now and in the foreseeable future. It may be painful for some to acknowledge, but if Chris has talent, he will coach them up and win.

I don't know, Ulla. There is enough history to question whether Mooney can coach players up. Just not buying into that concept.

 

[SpiderTrap]

I disagree - our future is bright, but not the immediate future, which means not next year. We will lose the POY of Cline and our PG for the last 3 seasons in SDJ. And we all know - we have no one behind Cline right now - your expecting either a Frosh who has not played before in college, a grad transfer to learn everything in 1 year, or Paul or Grant - both of whom have not played much at all since they stepped on campus (and we are still not sure if Grant returns). SDJ - I think we can replace by committee, but you have to expect an adjustment there as well. Not to mention we lose Wood and Kwesi - not big pieces, but when you only play 7-8 guys a night, these are 4 of them we are losing.

And this season - not sure we have overachieved quite yet. Looking at our OOC results - yes, we have overachieved in the A10, but that is only because we stunk in the OOC. But we have 5 games left - and I think we could really lose 2 of them (VCU and Davidson) and Fordham on the road could be a tough test as well. But lets say we go 3-2 to finish out. That will put us at 12-6, which at this point could be anywhere from 4th to 6th place. And likely a spot near the back of the NIT or CBI. Is that really overachieving? Especially when you have the POY in Cline and SDJ?

 

[iSpider]

Again, another JOC non-article with respect to those who have any knowledge of the program. As for the statements of Gill and Mooney, I say "show me the beef." They said exactly what any AD or BB Coach would say...and added nothing to any meaningful discussion about a turnabout in our program.

Let's be real. We have one incoming prospect who should contribute next year and maybe two others who will help out in two or more years. The other two will likely play the roles of JP and PF, or transfer. Just take a close look at what other programs recruited them and their senior year stats.
And as for Solley, he is a complete unknown whose Euro highlights are less than remarkable.

It will be a huge surprise to me if our wins next year exceed those of the current year or last year. With each game, I see less of a future for our basketball program, let alone a bright one. Though I was the very first to point out the level of mediocrity of our program three years ago, I have not been one of the negative posters on this board, though I have remained skeptical. After last night's fiasco, I have lost faith in the ability of our program to achieve success and any post-season participation unless major changes are made.

Those of you who seem content with the program and its future because of the article's content should quit fooling yourselves. We suck and we are not likely to get any better in the next few years. Sure, we may beat VCU on Friday, though I personally doubt it. And we may win a few other games and advance a game or two in the A10 tournament. But until some major changes occur, we are doomed to continued mediocrity.

We lucked out in recruiting last year and lucked upon an apparently gifted point guard for next year. Those exceptions aside, our recruiting has been a disaster. Mooney did not land one recruit of the top ten he had targeted with the possible exception of Schneider. Those of you who see the glass as half full and delight in the fact that we have high academic standards apparently do not have the same requirements that I have for continued support of the program.

 

[9Legs]

97, great point. The uptick in our recruiting the last two years will be paying large dividends now and in the foreseeable future. It may be painful for some to acknowledge, but if Chris has talent, he will coach them up and win.

Could the reason Chris doesn't have talent be Chris and his systems? No, it's always admissions! It was argued that facilities were also the issue until the renovation but now that excuse can't be used! Can't use the atmosphere or lack of fan support excuse any more! Granted Buck, Nic and Grant are a cut above what we he's been recruiting and with time(jr, sr. year) they will be decent players but none of them would be seeing significant playing time this year for established P5 teams . We have an unknown in Solly and it appears only one proven recruit for next year while the development process will continue for the others. Sorry to be pessimistic but with the loss of Cline and Jones, I see more of the same(undersized and short bench) for the next two years which results in ongoing mediocrity. As far as 5th year players, so far we have seen that if they are decent, we aren't getting them! Chris is lucky to have the 10 year deal, if he was on commission he'd be living hand to mouth!

 

[LongTimeLurkerFirstTimePoster]

Again, another JOC non-article with respect to those who have any knowledge of the program. As for the statements of Gill and Mooney, I say "show me the beef." They said exactly what any AD or BB Coach would say...and added nothing to any meaningful discussion about a turnabout in our program.

Let's be real. We have one incoming prospect who should contribute next year and maybe two others who will help out in two or more years. The other two will likely play the roles of JP and PF, or transfer. Just take a close look at what other programs recruited them and their senior year stats.
And as for Solley, he is a complete unknown whose Euro highlights are less than remarkable.

It will be a huge surprise to me if our wins next year exceed those of the current year or last year. With each game, I see less of a future for our basketball program, let alone a bright one. Though I was the very first to point out the level of mediocrity of our program three years ago, I have not been one of the negative posters on this board, though I have remained skeptical. After last night's fiasco, I have lost faith in the ability of our program to achieve success and any post-season participation unless major changes are made.

Those of you who seem content with the program and its future because of the article's content should quit fooling yourselves. We suck and we are not likely to get any better in the next few years. Sure, we may beat VCU on Friday, though I personally doubt it. And we may win a few other games and advance a game or two in the A10 tournament. But until some major changes occur, we are doomed to continued mediocrity.

We lucked out in recruiting last year and lucked upon an apparently gifted point guard for next year. Those exceptions aside, our recruiting has been a disaster. Mooney did not land one recruit of the top ten he had targeted with the possible exception of Schneider. Those of you who see the glass as half full and delight in the fact that we have high academic standards apparently do not have the same requirements that I have for continued support of the program.

so when we get good players, he lucks out?

we win at LaSalle, players played great.

Buck throws up 4 airballs, TJ comitts two stupid moving screens in first 8 minutes vs. GMU, it is Coach's fault?

Again, before 97 gets up my a**, it is not perfect but we are 3rd in A-10 and have played most of season with one front court guy--are you going to blame Chris for Golden's heart issue?

 

[gospidersgo]

Buck, Nic and Grant are a cut above what we he's been recruiting and with time(jr, sr. year) they will be decent players

?!?

 

[fatherspider]

Well, I do happen to agree that we are in good shape next year IF, IF Solly is who I think he is, AND Grant can come back with no issues, and his re-adjustment period is not too bad. I do like Solly as a big wing, who can cover the 4 when needed. In that scenario, I really think a stud grad transfer on the interior would be perfect for this team.

Did you watch how the team performed yesterday wout TJ? Thats who will be on the court next year and the guy on the bench w be the same. Very questionable for next year.

 

[Spiders05]

i, I typically like your (non-political) posts. Had a question on the below. How did we luck into the guys we got? If we hold responsible for misses, shouldn't we also hold them responsible for the guys we get?

We lucked out in recruiting last year and lucked upon an apparently gifted point guard for next year. Those exceptions aside, our recruiting has been a disaster. Mooney did not land one recruit of the top ten he had targeted with the possible exception of Schneider.

 

[MrTbone]

An interesting statement made in JOC's article:

"Freshman Grant Golden, a 6-9 forward in the rotation early this season, will apply for a medical redshirt after an accelerated heart rate in mid-December caused him to miss most of the season."

That's the first I've publicly seen someone declare Grant won't be returning this year.

 

[Eight Legger]

Mooney is far from perfect, and he still fails to do some things that better coaches do. But I will give him credit for what he does well and for stepping up his recruiting when it mattered most. Every team has some head-scratching games over the course of an 18-game league schedule. Dayton lost to UMass. VCU lost to Fordham. Mason got swept by St. Louis.

After Friday, we are done with our most difficult games and have 4 relatively favorable games remaining after that, while a lot of other teams near us still have 2 or 3 really difficult ones looming. I'll take that.

 

[MrTbone]

Mooney does not make offers to these guys unless he thought there was a pretty good chance of them getting in. If men's basketball is our flagship sport, where are the published requirements for these recruits and transfers? And is there a graduating scale? Meaning if the published(or unpublished but known) requirement is a 2.5 gpa and the kid has a 2.2 gpa coming from say Duke but he happens to be a top 5 player in the country, are there exceptions made? If you want to take men's bball past the Sweet 16 I am hoping the answer is yes.

maybe tie your financial support decisions to the the answers to the above questions....

We don't publish stuff like this, we don't need to. I am completely confident that players we are recruiting are well aware of the minimum standards they have to meet to be accepted. If they can't meet the minimum standards, we shouldn't then say "ok, let's lower the standard this time." That's just silliness.

I don't know if we make exceptions to the standards to your other point. My guess is that we probably don't. I just don't think that's how UR operates. But I also think that the standards are pretty reasonable to get guys in that we want. Malcolm Barnard is a bit of an anomaly to me in that he A) graduated from Florida A&M and B) was only going to be here for a year and thus would have the same impact on SPCS' de-enrollment rate regardless.

As to tying financial support decisions to this stuff, I guess I'd advocate that you have a better chance of improving the program by being a regular fan and donor than not. I don't think voting with your pocketbook is likely to change UR's stance on this. But what do I know, I only stayed at a Holiday Inn Express...

 

[spider fan]

Voting with your pocketbook is dependent on your last name and how many dollars you give................otherwise, not so much.....................

 

[fan2011]

It is really hard to predict how good we will be next year because our front court is a complete unknown. We will have ~100 minutes of college playing time returning to our front court next season, which is ~3 games worth of playing time for a normal starter. Here are the biggest questions that need to be answered:

1) How good will Grant be next year?
We have only seen him play for ~68 minutes and while he did have good rebounding, assist and block numbers in his limited time, his shooting numbers were not great. The sample size is way too small to evaluate his offense or defense, but the fact that Mooney was playing him ~7 minutes a game as a true freshmen behind TJ is an encouraging sign. The fact that Kwesi played more minutes on average in those first 9 games is not a good sign.

2) How good will Solly be next year?
Solly will be 22 years old next season. He will be physically, and perhaps mentally, more mature than the average incoming college basketball player. He should be viewed more as a transfer from Europe than a first-year college basketball player, and hopefully will be ready to start from day 1. He visited Michigan before we nabbed him (which may suggest he has high-major talent), but did not get an offer from them. He averaged 8.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.9 steals in 21 minutes per games on a junior (under 21) team in Europe, and played 5 games on the senior team as well but was pretty much invisible. I am not sure how the competition over there compares to what he will see as a spider, but if he can contribute 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals per game while playing good defense at the 4 then he will be a much needed addition to our team. At 6'7 he will hopefully start at the 4 for us instead of DMB/NS.

3) How much will the true freshmen be able to contribute at the 4/5?
Our current 4, DMB, is 6'4. Next year we have 4 incoming true freshmen who are taller: Schneider is listed at 6'5, while Verbinski, Cayo and Ford are all listed at 6'7 or 6'8. Out of the 6 teams the A10 sent to the NCAAs the past 2 years, none of them had a starter over 6'7, so it is possible for very successful teams to play with centers at the size of Verbinski, Cayo and Ford. They may need to put on a little muscle/weight before they can play center though. If one or two of these players is able to contribute positively to our team at the 4 or 5 we may be in good shape. If all of them are busts we will be in very bad shape.

4) Is Gilyard as good as he looks?
If Gilyard can start at the point we will be in good shape. He is a scoring machine in high school, kind of like K0 in terms of size and scoring ability. If he can play similarly to what we saw from K0 in his freshmen year we will have a really good back court. Even if he needs some time to develop our back court should be strong, but we lack a great ball handler without SDJ and if Gilyard can fill that role we will do much better next season.

If Solly, Grant, Gilyard and one of the other freshmen perform really well we can make the NCAA tournament next year, but that is asking for a lot. We really need 3 solid players for our front court, and if we have enough good players for the front court so that DMB and NS don't have to play there we will be a good team next year. I think we may have a similar season next year, flirting with the top of the A10 but not quite an NCAA team. In two years I hope we will be dancing again.

 

[Ulla1]

It is really hard to predict how good we will be next year because our front court is a complete unknown. We will have ~100 minutes of college playing time returning to our front court next season, which is ~3 games worth of playing time for a normal starter. Here are the biggest questions that need to be answered:

1) How good will Grant be next year?
We have only seen him play for ~68 minutes and while he did have good rebounding, assist and block numbers in his limited time, his shooting numbers were not great. The sample size is way too small to evaluate his offense or defense, but the fact that Mooney was playing him ~7 minutes a game as a true freshmen behind TJ is an encouraging sign. The fact that Kwesi played more minutes on average in those first 9 games is not a good sign.

2) How good will Solly be next year?
Solly will be 22 years old next season. He will be physically, and perhaps mentally, more mature than the average incoming college basketball player. He should be viewed more as a transfer from Europe than a first-year college basketball player, and hopefully will be ready to start from day 1. He visited Michigan before we nabbed him (which may suggest he has high-major talent), but did not get an offer from them. He averaged 8.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.9 steals in 21 minutes per games on a junior (under 21) team in Europe, and played 5 games on the senior team as well but was pretty much invisible. I am not sure how the competition over there compares to what he will see as a spider, but if he can contribute 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals per game while playing good defense at the 4 then he will be a much needed addition to our team. At 6'7 he will hopefully start at the 4 for us instead of DMB/NS.

3) How much will the true freshmen be able to contribute at the 4/5?
Our current 4, DMB, is 6'4. Next year we have 4 incoming true freshmen who are taller: Schneider is listed at 6'5, while Verbinski, Cayo and Ford are all listed at 6'7 or 6'8. Out of the 6 teams the A10 sent to the NCAAs the past 2 years, none of them had a starter over 6'7, so it is possible for very successful teams to play with centers at the size of Verbinski, Cayo and Ford. They may need to put on a little muscle/weight before they can play center though. If one or two of these players is able to contribute positively to our team at the 4 or 5 we may be in good shape. If all of them are busts we will be in very bad shape.

4) Is Gilyard as good as he looks?
If Gilyard can start at the point we will be in good shape. He is a scoring machine in high school, kind of like K0 in terms of size and scoring ability. If he can play similarly to what we saw from K0 in his freshmen year we will have a really good back court. Even if he needs some time to develop our back court should be strong, but we lack a great ball handler without SDJ and if Gilyard can fill that role we will do much better next season.

If Solly, Grant, Gilyard and one of the other freshmen perform really well we can make the NCAA tournament next year, but that is asking for a lot. We really need a solid 3 players for our front court, and if we have enough good players for the front court so that DMB and NS don't have to play there we will be a good team next year. I think we may have a similar season next year, flirting with the top of the A10 but not quite an NCAA team. In two years I hope we will be dancing again.

If you guys closely follow our recruits and the level of their competition, you would understand that several guys are really good and may be solid contributors as freshmen. My prediction is that Jacob Gilyard will contribute immediately as will Nathan Cayo, these guys play at high level programs and are really good. Outside of the box, I think that Tomas Verbinskis will surprise and could start by the end of the year. Tomas plays for a premier high school in which he has been over shadowed by egotistical high volume shooters. He is going to be a jewel in our system. Talking with coaches, AJ Ford has the greatest potential. He is a bit raw but is a terrific athlete. Bryce Schneider may contribute as a role player; currently he is playing at a low level of competition. Nuff said.

 

[MrTbone]

Bryce did earn POY honors over a teammate who is expected to be a P5 level recruit, so while his competition may be comparatively weaker, it's a great sign that he got that nod.

I know history isn't so much on CMs side here but I expect at least two of these five guys to be 3-4 year significant contributors.

 

[SpiderHoops32]

My prediction is that Jacob Gilyard will contribute immediately as will Nathan Cayo, these guys play at high level programs and are really good.

You also said that Kovien Dominaus looked like a 4 star recruit.....

Gilyard is an absolute stud, all the others are highly questionable and are very similar to recent players that have transferred. Hope I'm wrong

 

[Ulla1]

Nope. Never said that. Honestly, the main reason I left this board for a while was most never post anything new or factual. Just offer opinions based on NOTHING. Really, spend time. Do some research and share with others.

 

[SpiderK]

If you guys closely follow our recruits and the level of their competition, you would understand that several guys are really good and may be solid contributors as freshmen. My prediction is that Jacob Gilyard will contribute immediately as will Nathan Cayo, these guys play at high level programs and are really good. Outside of the box, I think that Tomas Verbinskis will surprise and could start by the end of the year. Tomas plays for a premier high school in which he has been over shadowed by egotistical high volume shooters. He is going to be a jewel in our system. Talking with coaches, AJ Ford has the greatest potential. He is a bit raw but is a terrific athlete. Bryce Schneider may contribute as a role player; currently he is playing at a low level of competition. Nuff said.

Have to go with you on the 17-18 class. I was with you 100% on this year's 16-17 freshman class because I personally saw them play. Buck and Sherod several times. Several of next year's class are going to have to contribue out of necessity. We are losing 4 seniors. For better or worse all 4 contribute now and our bench is very weak if not non existant.

 

[iSpider]

so when we get good players, he lucks out?

we win at LaSalle, players played great.

Buck throws up 4 airballs, TJ comitts two stupid moving screens in first 8 minutes vs. GMU, it is Coach's fault?

Again, before 97 gets up my a**, it is not perfect but we are 3rd in A-10 and have played most of season with one front court guy--are you going to blame Chris for Golden's heart issue?

When do the excuses stop? Academics, player performance, what utter nonsense. Of course, GM was the coach's fault. Where have you been for the last five years? Mooney has had one good recruiting year in the last five. Committing stupid moves falls on the coach as well as the player. Let's face it, the coach recruited the player and the coach supposedly coaches the player...or selects the assistants that do.

Throwing up air balls can happen, but when one player has an off night, it doesn't mean that we need to lose by twenty points. Last night's performance was not anomalous with respect to our program for the last five years. If it were a rare occasion, we would have been in post-season play in at least one of the past five years. Thus far this year we have been fortunate in conference play, but it is one of the worse years for the conference in recent memory.

Of course, Golden's heart issue was unforeseeable, but the lack of other (or even another) quality backup(s) is not. We have fewer health or injury problems than most anyone else in the league.

But I am wasting my time. You already know this at some level. You are just hoping against all hope that it ain't so. Problem is, hiding your head in the sand does not make the problem disappear. The first step in fixing a problem is acknowledging that the problem exists. Too many people here remain in denial. Time to face reality. Time for Gill to put Mooney under some performance ultimatums. Otherwise, the future will deliver us more of the same.

 

[Ulla1]

When do the excuses stop? Academics, player performance, what utter nonsense. Of course, GM was the coach's fault. Where have you been for the last five years? Mooney has had one good recruiting year in the last five. Committing stupid moves falls on the coach as well as the player. Let's face it, the coach recruited the player and the coach supposedly coaches the player...or selects the assistants that do.

Throwing up air balls can happen, but when one player has an off night, it doesn't mean that we need to lose by twenty points. Last night's performance was not anomalous with respect to our program for the last five years. If it were a rare occasion, we would have been in post-season play in at least one of the past five years. Thus far this year we have been fortunate in conference play, but it is one of the worse years for the conference in recent memory.

Of course, Golden's heart issue was unforeseeable, but the lack of other (or even another) quality backup(s) is not. We have fewer health or injury problems than most anyone else in the league.

But I am wasting my time. You already know this at some level. You are just hoping against all hope that it ain't so. Problem is, hiding your head in the sand does not make the problem disappear. The first step in fixing a problem is acknowledging that the problem exists. Too many people here remain in denial. Time to face reality. Time for Gill to put Mooney under some performance ultimatums. Otherwise, the future will deliver us more of the same.

Whew.

 

[iSpider]

i, I typically like your (non-political) posts. Had a question on the below. How did we luck into the guys we got? If we hold responsible for misses, shouldn't we also hold them responsible for the guys we get?

I don't know the inside story on signing Buck, Nick, and Grant, but when we recruit such a class so infrequently, I think it is more logical to assume that it was an anomaly or a fortunstance rather than a change in tactics or direction. As to JG, he was overlooked by almost everyone when we came on the scene. He exploded after we signed him. Things like that happen every so often. More luck than anything else.

Sure we hold him responsible for his misses, several of which happened this year, unlike last year, and, absopositutely, we should give him credit for his successes, not only with respect to recruiting but across the board, PROVIDED his successes result in getting us to where we need to be. Having one good recruiting year every five will not do the trick. That's like receiving an "A" because you got all the answers correct on one test when there were four other tests during the semester on which your high score was a "D."

So, great job in recruiting last year, Chris, now do it again. If not this year, then next.

 

[SpiderRick]

Barnyard was a college graduate. Avila was accepted to the Naval Academy. My stepson is a USNA graduate, I know for a fact that athlete or not, you have to have good grades to be accepted there. While we pride ourselves regarding our academic standards, we "ain't" MIT. The admissions people think too much of themselves.

 

[MrTbone]

Barnyard was a college graduate. Avila was accepted to the Naval Academy. My stepson is a USNA graduate, I know for a fact that athlete or not, you have to have good grades to be accepted there. While we pride ourselves regarding our academic standards, we "ain't" MIT. The admissions people think too much of themselves.

Rick, just because someone graduated college or was accepted to a service academy doesn't mean their gpa was adequate for UR standards. You can graduate many schools with as low as a 2.0 and certainly kids leave other schools due to poor academic performance. Again, I don't think our standards are unreasonable and understand Admissions works well with athletics in many cases to get guys admitted. Would be nice to have lower standards but that's never been our MO.

 

[iSpider]

Nope. Never said that. Honestly, the main reason I left this board for a while was most never post anything new or factual. Just offer opinions based on NOTHING. Really, spend time. Do some research and share with others.

I looked at all the videos, many of which were posted by you, the ratings by scouting services, if available, and the level of interest at Div I, and I concluded that if any other than JG prove to be up to the level of Buck or Nick, I will be amazed.

Speaking of opinions, on what specifically do you base yours? All I have heard from you are superlatives and uberboles. Posting a video of a player making 3 pointers and/or dunks is by no means a measure of the player's ability. Epicizing or iconizing a player before he arrives does little more than create hope and potential continued disappointment, particularly when it has no substantive support. I refuse to believe that anyone except JG will contribute any meaningful minutes until their Jr. year. If we expect to improve our program beyond where it is now, we must add players to complement Nick, Buck and Grant. Our hope lies in the following class, not that of next year. And I am not optimistic.

 

[Ulla1]

I looked at all the videos, many of which were posted by you, the ratings by scouting services, if available, and the level of interest at Div I, and I concluded that if any other than JG prove to be up to the level of Buck or Nick, I will be amazed.

Speaking of opinions, on what specifically do you base yours? All I have heard from you are superlatives and uberboles. Posting a video of a player making 3 pointers and/or dunks is by no means a measure of the player's ability. Epicizing or iconizing a player before he arrives does little more than create hope and potential continued disappointment, particularly when it has no substantive support. I refuse to believe that anyone except JG will contribute any meaningful minutes until their Jr. year. If we expect to improve our program beyond where it is now, we must add players to complement Nick, Buck and Grant. Our hope lies in the following class, not that of next year. And I am not optimistic.

Whew.

 

[SpiderHoops32]

Nope. Never said that. Honestly, the main reason I left this board for a while was most never post anything new or factual. Just offer opinions based on NOTHING. Really, spend time. Do some research and share with others.

lol

gcarter, thanks for the link. Really like KoVien and what he stands for. Great that he was a member of the National Honor Society. When I watched some video of KoVien with a colleague, both of us were initially impressed by his form on his jump shot: high, quick release which occurred at the pinnacle of his jump. Perfect form. Then we thought, well maybe he cannot jump. Wrong. KoVien has significant hops. Honestly, he must be a late bloomer, because at the this point he is inseparable in his skill set from other 3 or 4 star recruits. Welcome aboard, KoVien! Roll Spide!

In order to clarify comments from my earlier post that KoVien's skillset was similar to a 3- or 4-star recruit, I watched highlights from a 3-star recruit we have offered for 2016, Quinton Rose. Quinton has about 15 offers including several from B5 schools. Tell me if you see big differences in the skill set of Quinton and KoVien. Really curious, as I cannot discern any.

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[urfan1]

com on 32, what do you want a poster to say -- the kid is awful why did we waste a schollie on him?

 

[Ulla1]

32, exactly, never said Kovien "looked like a 4 star recruit". Thanks for clarifying this point. You're great!

 

[FrontRoyalSpider]

Mooney does not make offers to these guys unless he thought there was a pretty good chance of them getting in. If men's basketball is our flagship sport, where are the published requirements for these recruits and transfers? And is there a graduating scale? Meaning if the published(or unpublished but known) requirement is a 2.5 gpa and the kid has a 2.2 gpa coming from say Duke but he happens to be a top 5 player in the country, are there exceptions made? If you want to take men's bball past the Sweet 16 I am hoping the answer is yes.

maybe tie your financial support decisions to the the answers to the above questions....

At the present football, not basketball, is our flag ship sport. As long as Mooney is head coach, basketball will be second fiddle to football.