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Recruiting - 2017


RUBillsFan

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I'm going to agree w/ T-Hicks on this one, mostly being optimistic, but I think Ford gives SLU tabula rasa with these recruits.

Also I'm into giving former SLU players now coaching a job. Especially those that have seem to have done well. IE Walker, Diener toot-toot (Coach in waiting for when Ford chokes in the 1st round of the tourney 3 times ((maybe 4-5 years away)).

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slufan13. Please explain how SLU under Coach Ford is now "way behind the other schools recruiting him." I call b.s.

Because other schools have been developing strong relationships with Goodwin for the last year whereas we had Crews ignore him and then put a terrible product out on the court. If Ford has been in touch with him, he's in the initial stages of developing a relationship. It's honestly a pretty simple theory.

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Walker's latest reported salary was $188,080.00.

That's good $ for an assistant. So maybe we can't afford that on our assistants.

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I would love to see Walker come to SLU. I don't know much about him since he is before my time, but if he is a guy with area ties as well as to the school I would love it. I'd assume he is lead recruiter on the local players U of I is making progress with so a hire could be huge for us.

My brother was a student manager when Walker was at SLU, I will have to ask him what he thought of him. I think I remember him saying he was a really good guy, but as the new guy kept to himself a bit. I do know Corey Frazier a bit and that is one former player in coaching that I would certainly not want on the staff.

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Walker as been the lead recruiter on one player from the area that has given a verbal to the Illini in his four seasons. Why does everyone think he would be great recruiting the area at SLU?

Not everybody does. Even worse, some believe he is ready for an associate head coach position. Based on what?

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Walker as been the lead recruiter on one player from the area that has given a verbal to the Illini in his four seasons. Why does everyone think he would be great recruiting the area at SLU?

First of all, the sales job recruiting to your alma mater may feel a little different, especially when, second, it's the closest school to St. Louis Metro kids, instead of being 100 miles away. Third, I'm not sure Groce as a head coach has even as much drawing power as Ford.

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I am sure Ford and his new staff have already contacted Goodwin several times. No offense, but you are sitting in Cincy reading AP wire stories during a down time.

And yes, there are tons of examples of new coaches making things fresh and different. In fact, I truly believe that most good local players really do want to play for SLU --- but only if we are a good, successful and winning program. Had Crews kept the winning going from 3 straight NCAA invites to 5 NCAA invites, Tatum would have chosen SLU and so would guys like Goodwin.

I think most of this is wrong, but likely not worth arguing with you.

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I have no complaint with your thoughts on a message board. I just wanted to know why you think he'd be a good associate head coach?

Really, I'm just guessing. Without speaking to him, Groce, and Ford, I really have no way of knowing. As for being associate head coach, I only throw that out there if that's the only inducement of getting him back to his alma mater, considering that he's probably not ready to be a head coach and SLU has already hired one. And maybe he's not more qualified to be second-in-command than Bailey or Macon(?) or anyone else Ford decides to pursue. I have no idea. But I like the idea of a former Billiken being on the staff, and who has more experience as a Div. I coach than Walker?

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Goodwin has already said he would wait a year. Maybe he does... maybe he doesn't. The point is that just his apparent decision to wait is good news for SLU.

Give T. Ford a chance. I am sure Ford and his new staff have already contacted Goodwin several times. No offense, but you are sitting in Cincy reading AP wire stories during a down time.

And yes, there are tons of examples of new coaches making things fresh and different. In fact, I truly believe that most good local players really do want to play for SLU --- but only if we are a good, successful and winning program. Had Crews kept the winning going from 3 straight NCAA invites to 5 NCAA invites, Tatum would have chosen SLU and so would guys like Goodwin.

It's a little more than that, but I appreciate the condescension from where you're sitting.

Let me put it this way: Crews completely, utterly ignored a local player who wanted to play at SLU for way too long, and then put in little to no effort after finally extending an offer. We're in a deep, deep hole with this kid's recruitment. He's been insulted. A change of management doesn't reset things 100%. It helps, but after you've been insulted by a program and bigger programs have come along with the full push, I can't overstate how far behind the original program becomes. His recruitment was 99% botched - and I say 99% instead of 100% because we technically did offer him - and we're probably too far out of the picture at this point to get back in.

And you don't have to believe me, based on my geographic location. I don't lose sleep over whether Clock_Tower sees merit in my posts.

If Ford can even get SLU back in the mix, I'll be very impressed with his abilities.

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Regarding SLU's chances with Goodwin: if he hasn't been hearing from Ford, who I'm sure has at least inquired of him or his coach, then he may have said, "There's no way in...." Ford said he's patient except when it comes to recruiting. I suspect that means if a recruit tells him he has no chance, he won't pursue any further.

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+1 Jim Crews is long gone and Goodwin can now choose SLU and Ford or not. If Goodwin chooses elsewhere, then it is on Goodwin for not wanting to come here. 3 years mistake free kissing ass and fawning over young teens can certainly be a selling point ("Come to SLU b/c we believed in you first even when no one else did...") but it is not necessary and usually does not prevail. If Goodwin wants to a Billiken, then he will be a Billiken. End of story.

+1 also as to Jamal Walker

Agreed. If the kid really wanted to stay home, then this is an opportunity for him to give it a fresh look. If the kid doesn't at least give Ford a serious look, then I think the narrative about him really, really wanting to stay home was BS. Not to say Crews didn't screw things up, but that shouldn't be held against TF.

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I think we can all agree that we had no chance of landing Goodwin or any of the 2018 local kids with Crews and his band of misfits, so at least we have a chance of Ford getting us back in the running with Goodwin (going to be a tall task, but maybe he really does want to stay home) and to develop relationships and fully recruit the 2018 kids (I can't imagine we are overly behind with those kids beyond Gordon possibly being wooed by some of the blue bloods).

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There's another factor with Goodwin's "stay at home" narrative: high school kids change their minds. What he wanted as a freshman or sophomore might be different than what he wants as a junior or senior.

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There's another factor with Goodwin's "stay at home" narrative: high school kids change their minds. What he wanted as a freshman or sophomore might be different than what he wants as a junior or senior.

That's a good point. That's why I don't automatically buy that it is always the local coach's fault when he loses a local recruit. Sometimes a kid may change his mind about staying home when he goes on recruiting visits. He gets a taste of what is like to be away from home and starts to become more comfortable with the idea.

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That's a good point. That's why I don't automatically buy that it is always the local coach's fault when he loses a local recruit. Sometimes a kid may change his mind about staying home when he goes on recruiting visits. He gets a taste of what is like to be away from home and starts to become more comfortable with the idea.

Don't get me wrong: SLU should've been the first to offer Goodwin. Had we handled his recruitment correctly, we wouldn't be having this painful conversation today.

'Painful' because he's awesome. I absolutely love his game. I was hoping the Big Ten schools would say, "Eh, he's too small to be a forward and he's not a conventional guard" or some such nonsense, but instead they've said, "Here's an offer. Wanna come to a football game? Please ignore the rest of the Big Ten, which has now offered you because the local school you used to like is too dumb to see what's on their front porch, and sign with us!"

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Ford has a chance to somewhat start a new relationship with Goodwin, but the problem is that Crews put SLU way behind the other schools recruiting him. I think it would be an accomplishment if Ford can even catch up and put us on equal footing with everyone else.

Didn't we hire Ford because he's such a good recruiter? And he's been hyping up wanting to keep local kids here. He has a long time to pitch SLU to Goodwin. I don't think at this point we should be saying simply getting Goodwin to consider us is an achievement. This is the stuff we are paying Ford to do. He needs to get some of these guys to commit.

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Agreed. If the kid really wanted to stay home, then this is an opportunity for him to give it a fresh look. If the kid doesn't at least give Ford a serious look, then I think the narrative about him really, really wanting to stay home was BS. Not to say Crews didn't screw things up, but that shouldn't be held against TF.

just to clarify, goodwin wanted to stay home prior to the college basketball world realizing what he could be and how good he was. crews ignored him basically said he wasnt big enough to play the position he was showing thus far as a high school sophomore (PF attributes) and not a good enough perimeter player. since then, many high division one programs have told him he indeed could play college wing and his inside ability only made him more valuable and versatile.

imo, it doesnt matter how much he thought he wanted to be a billiken when he was 15 now that he is almost 17 many higher profile programs have shown love and likely influenced his thinking. add to that the fact shimmy really messed up handling his older sister and chased her away from slu only to have her start three years at indiana, one has to see how the goodwin family isnt all in with slu anymore at this point. I totally agree with pistol on the likely standings we are in. and if it wasnt for the fact at one time he did show interest in playing at home i would say we had zero chance. but i think a hard effort by a new coach could open the door again. it sure would seem to me to be worth a try anyway. but if ford hasnt already dealt a renewed effort by the billikens, i can only believe that has hurt us even more adding to previous lukewarm efforts by the billikens.

real shame. the kid is special. and billiken fans who are all about effort and production (think bonner, perry, love, lisch, evans jett as examples of players that won with effort and attitude as much as skill) are going to miss out on a player they would have loved. here's hoping the billikens are back in the running.

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