recruiting 2014 and beyond (h00ps weird0s beat off list)

[HJS]

Yesterday was LOI Day for basketball.

I find it funny that Don's defenders still talk about the alleged "mess" he inherited because Skinner failed to recruit a single player one year. And yet... here is Don... following the same play book. I wonder how patient they'll be with the next coach, based on the similar-to-worse mess he'll be inheriting.

If they have any sense, they'll give him (if he isn't an obvious disaster) four years, which appears to be what Donahue is getting; Donahue himself specified the fourth season as the one by which to judge his performance, and here we are in Year 4 with things not looking good at the beginning. The crucial issue will be the same: can the coach recruit? It would also help if he at least started to do something about the absurd cohort imbalance on the roster, which Skinner created and Donahue has made incrementally worse. The larger question behind hiring the next coach is whether the ruling powers of BC [b]want a serious basketball program, or just a pro forma doormat that will occupy the required space on the conference schedule and (most important) not cause the school any embarrassment (other than on the court).[/b]

If the answer to the highlighted language is that ruling powers at BC do not want a serious basketball program, then there will be no hire of a "next coach".

[Cadillac90]

Serious question: are people going to freak out if (and probably when) Donahue doesn't sign anyone for 2014? I am still not certain that this Matt Farrell counts as a real signee so I will go on assuming they have zero commits to this point.

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

what precedent do you have to claim that people might freak out over an empty basketball recruiting class?
just what is your agenda here?

[b0mberMan]

Serious question: are people going to freak out if (and probably when) Donahue doesn't sign anyone for 2014? I am still not certain that this Matt Farrell counts as a real signee so I will go on assuming they have zero commits to this point.

Of course they'll freak out. They freak out when we lose a game. They freak out when someone is only 6'5". They'll probably freak out when we get to the Final Four but don't win the whole freakin' thing.

hoops weirdos can never be happy.

[MaroonNGold]

To "freak out" about BC requires an interest in same.

Pray tell, how many people have that prerequisite?

[MaroonNGold]

Let's permit reality to land at this airport.

Who could ANY coach get to come here, where no one attends home games, there is no travel base, we have what we have in charge of the school, and our history since Fr Monan left is what it is?

[twballgame9]

Let's permit reality to land at this airport.

Who could ANY coach get to come here, where no one attends home games, there is no travel base, we have what we have in charge of the school, and our history since Fr Monan left is what it is?

I'll give you credit for persistence with this gimmick.

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

Let's permit reality to land at this airport.

Who could ANY coach get to come here, where no one attends home games, there is no travel base, we have what we have in charge of the school, and our history since Fr Monan left is what it is?

I'll give you credit for persistence with this gimmick.

I wonder if he has any insight into the health of Maryland's wide receivers

[BCEagles25]

Serious question: are people going to freak out if (and probably when) Donahue doesn't sign anyone for 2014?

74 will post things in big red bolded letters on some BC fan forum. that's about all I can predict with any certainty.

[claver2010]

Vonleh is a one and done. Would've been awesome for this year, then gone

Vonleh is averaging 15 points & 13 rebounds in only 24 minutes per night through 4 games, so there's that

[twballgame9]

Let's permit reality to land at this airport.

Who could ANY coach get to come here, where no one attends home games, there is no travel base, we have what we have in charge of the school, and our history since Fr Monan left is what it is?

I'll give you credit for persistence with this gimmick.

I wonder if he has any insight into the health of Maryland's wide receivers

They have broken legs. No effing excuses this weekend.

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

Not to interrupt this weirdo-fest, but the NY Post reported today that Farrell had an offer from UVA, so maybe he isn't as awful as reported.

he's officially gone from awful to "good riddance, he was a bad fit anyway"

keep on keeping on, w3ird0z

[MaroonNGold]

Let's permit reality to land at this airport.

Who could ANY coach get to come here, where no one attends home games, there is no travel base, we have what we have in charge of the school, and our history since Fr Monan left is what it is?

I'll give you credit for persistence with this gimmick.

How about shelving the sarcasm and answering my question?

Tough one, huh?

[BCEagles25]

Not to interrupt this weirdo-fest, but the NY Post reported today that Farrell had an offer from UVA, so maybe he isn't as awful as reported.

he's officially gone from awful to "good riddance, he was a bad fit anyway"

keep on keeping on, w3ird0z

just watch. he'll blow up like Heslip in 2011 and half of us will chastise Don for letting him slip while the other half say "eh, he was too slow anyways." us weirdos are consistent if nothing else

[twballgame9]

Let's permit reality to land at this airport.

Who could ANY coach get to come here, where no one attends home games, there is no travel base, we have what we have in charge of the school, and our history since Fr Monan left is what it is?

I'll give you credit for persistence with this gimmick.

How about shelving the sarcasm and answering my question?

Tough one, huh?

Okay 81

[MaroonNGold]

As of today, the day after Thanksgiving, here is the state of our recruiting, according to ESPN:

13 offers

Zero acceptances

One campus visit by one who later signed with Iowa

Three still listed as considering BC. One is a 3 star, the others are 2 stars, both guards.

What doth this mean?

It does NOT mean that Don can't recruit. For the truth is that almost no one could, given the rep we have, thanks to GDF and the money-mad guy at the helm.

And don't delude yourselves into ignoring THIS harsh reality: firing Al Skinner has hurt us in the black community. Also, in our history, we've had 2 black head coaches. We ran off both, one of whom holds the record for most wins in school hoops history.

Though Bates seems solid, innovative and well-intentioned, he is hampered by the actions that his boss has taken over his 16 year tenure.

Only major structural surgery (not the Pavlovian coach axing that has defined this regime) will cure our miserable state.

Sorry, folks, but truth is sometimes unpleasant.

[apbc12]

the Pavlovian coach axing that has defined this regime

Given your one-note style, I assume you're talking about Leahy's regime? He assumed the presidency in the summer of 96, right? Since then, our revenue sports have had 9 coaches total:

Hockey: York (Leahy's entire tenure)

Hoop:
O'Brien (one season - left on his own amid admissions fight)
Skinner (97-2010 - fired)
Donahue (2010-present)

Football
Henning (one season - officially, retired amid gambling scandal and general crappiness; possibly fired)
O'Brien (97-2006 - left on his own for NC State)
Jags (06-08 - fired)
Spaz (09-12 - fired)
Addazio (13-present)

That's 9 coaches in 3 sports over 17 years. I don't have any research to back it up, but as a regular observer of college sports, I'd say that's pretty low turnover. Moreover, of those 9, only 3 or possibly 4 were fired. The remainder left on their own. So during Leahy's tenure, if we give you Henning for the sake of discussion, the visible BC sports have fired an average of slightly more than one coach each in 17 years. Whether Leahy is committed to sports to the extent you would prefer is an open question, but to say BC has a quick trigger with coaches under his watch is disingenuous at best.

[HJS]

It does NOT mean that Don can't recruit. For the truth is that almost no one could, given the rep we have, thanks to GDF and the money-mad guy at the helm.

And don't delude yourselves into ignoring THIS harsh reality: firing Al Skinner has hurt us in the black community. Also, in our history, we've had 2 black head coaches. We ran off both, one of whom holds the record for most wins in school hoops history.

Though Bates seems solid, innovative and well-intentioned, he is hampered by the actions that his boss has taken over his 16 year tenure.

1. Recruiting has nothing to do with the institutional problems you believe to exist. Recruiting is ALL about the recruiter... the connections he has... and his ability to recruit. There ability to convince kids to follow them transcends the university that happens to employ them at the moment. The truth is that you give the 17-year-olds and their street handlers FAR too much credit.

2. It's funny that you say firing Coach Handsome has hurt us in "the black community" as the hiring and employing the most successful coach in the history of BC BB never gave us support from said community. That said, the "black community" is largely a fiction.

3. I largely agree that Leahy holds BC athletics back. I do not believe he has any attachment to the sports programs. I do not believe he sees any benefit in investing in the athletic department. And, finally, I also happen to think that his retirement is overdue.

[MilitantEagle]

1. Recruiting has nothing to do with the institutional problems you believe to exist. Recruiting is ALL about the recruiter... the connections he has... and his ability to recruit. There ability to convince kids to follow them transcends the university that happens to employ them at the moment. The truth is that you give the 17-year-olds and their street handlers FAR too much credit.

No way. The best recruiter in the world could not have convinced Wiggins or Parker to come to BC. And spare me the mocking, 'we are what we are' comment.

[MaroonNGold]

the Pavlovian coach axing that has defined this regime

Given your one-note style, I assume you're talking about Leahy's regime? He assumed the presidency in the summer of 96, right? Since then, our revenue sports have had 9 coaches total:

Hockey: York (Leahy's entire tenure)

Hoop:
O'Brien (one season - left on his own amid admissions fight)
Skinner (97-2010 - fired)
Donahue (2010-present)

Football
Henning (one season - officially, retired amid gambling scandal and general crappiness; possibly fired)
O'Brien (97-2006 - left on his own for NC State)
Jags (06-08 - fired)
Spaz (09-12 - fired)
Addazio (13-present)

That's 9 coaches in 3 sports over 17 years. I don't have any research to back it up, but as a regular observer of college sports, I'd say that's pretty low turnover. Moreover, of those 9, only 3 or possibly 4 were fired. The remainder left on their own. So during Leahy's tenure, if we give you Henning for the sake of discussion, the visible BC sports have fired an average of slightly more than one coach each in 17 years. Whether Leahy is committed to sports to the extent you would prefer is an open question, but to say BC has a quick trigger with coaches under his watch is disingenuous at best.

Ap,

Factually wrong on 2 counts:

1. Jim OB was Leahy's first scalp. Just after winning BC's first BE tourney crown, he was offered a new contract and was told by Leahy that admissions standards would be lower for athletes, BUT that Leahy wanted that to not become public. When Blaudschun wrote that in an article a few days later, Leahy canned JOB. (Interestingly, Blaudschun then took the unusual step of stating that Jim was NOT the source for his article.)

2 Tom OB felt that he was next on the chopping block, so he beat them to the punch. He liked BC, but not its governing culture. So, while literally true that he was axed, he WAS forced out. And you forget to comment about the other black head coach we had, also forced out.

Word IS out there that BC is now a coaching graveyard. Why, for example, were there so few applicants when Spaz was dismissed?

[MaroonNGold]

2. It's funny that you say firing Coach Handsome has hurt us in "the black community" as the hiring and employing the most successful coach in the history of BC BB never gave us support from said community. That said, the "black community" is largely a fiction.-

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If that is true, how did Al get such stars as Bell, Smith, Rice, Williams, Dudley and Jackson?

And why is it that since Al was canned, that flow of black stars had ended?

Don't fall victim to the superiority self-deception that afflicts the BC ostrich crowd.

[Iggle]

If that is true, how did Al get such stars as Bell, Smith, Rice, Williams, Dudley and Jackson?

And why is it that since Al was canned, that flow of black stars had ended?

airtight logic

also ignores the existence of Hanlan and Anderson

[MaroonNGold]

If that is true, how did Al get such stars as Bell, Smith, Rice, Williams, Dudley and Jackson?

And why is it that since Al was canned, that flow of black stars had ended?

airtight logic

also ignores the existence of Hanlan and Anderson

Iggle,

Thanks for the prop.

But you note of Anderson and Hanlon merits this observation: you cannot logically not equate 2 in 4 years to the constant acquisition of black stars which Al showed through his time at Conte.

[BCEagles25]

maroon... do you believe in the loch ness monster?

[apbc12]

maroon... do you believe in the loch ness monster?

Of course. Who do you think took his $3.50?

[BCEagles25]

maroon... do you believe in the loch ness monster?

Of course. Who do you think took his $3.50?

I think it should have taken his two cents instead

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

It's your 21st birthday... Shouldn't you be out getting drunk, liking bc basketball, and trying to get into other dude's pants?

[BCEagles25]

I like to save that shit for when the sun goes away (elementary my dear TRE, day drinking is for saturdays)

[MaroonNGold]

As we struggle to sign our first recruit, here is where our "peer" programs stand:

ND: one 4 star (none other than Bonzie Colson, Jr., son of our former asst. coach under Al Skinner. Wonder why we did not get him? Hmmmm)
and one 3 star

Georgetown: three 4 stars and one 3 star

Villanova: two 4 stars

Providence: three 4 stars

Seton Hall: two 4 stars and two 3 stars.

And so it goes...........

[Cadillac90]

As we struggle to sign our first recruit, here is where our "peer" programs stand:

ND: one 4 star (none other than Bonzie Colson, Jr., son of our former asst. coach under Al Skinner. Wonder why we did not get him? Hmmmm)
and one 3 star

Georgetown: three 4 stars and one 3 star

Villanova: two 4 stars

Providence: three 4 stars

Seton Hall: two 4 stars and two 3 stars.

And so it goes...........

Same story if you expand the peer school to include private institutions with excellent academics that play big time basketball. It is quite sad at this point but hey, the Don was a grand slam hire.