Recruiting Strategy and Suggs and Brandenburg

[slu72]

Not another shot at UB, honest. Just an honest question to what's our best way to use the upcoming scholies and how to approach recruits. As I understand it we currentyly have 3 open scholies, after our verbals to MR and Mitchell? This seems right as next year's roster currently has 8 sp's(scholarship players) and the two verbal SP's. UB, for whatever reason, is going to hold one back. So we assume he's going to use up 2 more SP's this spring. This will give him 4 to offer the class of '08. Assume Kramer doesn't use one of these, so, in reality, he he can sign 5 guys this fall. Probably won't do that as he's not the best fall recruiter in the world, so lock up 2 sp's this fall. Seems to be the consensus that in the area '08 class, Suggs and Brandenber are our first choices, but we're not very sure we're theirs. Why not go to them and say, "take a hard look at the bigs, we understand the allure, and if that's where you see yourselves, good luck, but we'll keep a scholie open for you in any case. You can sign in the spring if you want." So we bascially leave it an unpressurized situation with SLU, yet show them some love. If they don't sign, we still have two open in the spring.

[Taj79]

If anyone posts on March 19, 2007 the recruiting strategy for the Fall 07 signings and expects that to be anything current, then we are totally behind the eight-ball and can kiss Suggs and Brandenburg butts as they whiz by ont he wat to Chapel Hill, Lawrence, Durham, or anywhere else but St. Louis, Missouri. I would think and offer that the strategy for these kids has long been in place and quite active right now.

I think the Fall of 07 signings are four with an agreement on the assumption that Kramer wouldn't count. I don't know how or why that might be true because 1) I don't know if employees of SLU have their kids attend tuition-free (and if that applies to room and board as well) and 2) whether or not the NCAA has some sort of ruling that makes his attendance at all count towards the scholarship limit of 13. I don't know.

As for the assumption of only signing two kids because, as you put it, "he's not the best fall recruiter in the world", well, that's just plain bullshat. I don't think being good or not has as much to do with it as kids holidng out hope that something better than SLU will come along if they wait it out. While I understand and accept that logic, I do not believe it can holdwater any more. If we are waiting for two open spots to sign two more kids in the Spring, the book might be closed on Brad's reign here.

Past recruiting "coups" have been package deals ... we got Gray and Douglas together on the first available signing day or so back in the early 80's. We got Claggett, Highmark, Winfield, and Smith all in the package in the early 90's. And we got Hughes, Tatum, Baniak and Heinrich all together in the late 90's. Polk and Meyer. Liddell and Lisch. The longer we go from Day One of this fall's signing period, the less a chance I believe we will have with these kids to begin with.

We can leave it open for good will hunting and all that, but isn't that one of the avenues that has left us where we are now due to employing such in the past? I don't believe talent as evaluated as highly as Suggs and Brandenburg and the rest waits it out. Rather, I have heard most say that it was a relief to get the recruiting process over with as soon as possible. even thought Sampson Showed Weber it never really is, including LOIs.

While I would love to have them all fall under the Billiken Blue banner, I am hoping we can get two. augment those with two Tier 2 or Tier 3's and throw in Kramer as a freebie. Which is short-sighted onmy part because, as I said above, I don't know if that is possible and how the bean counting works.

We have constantly bemoaned the fact that Soderberg is one semester behind the curve, that he is recruiting for the upcoming year while the rest have moved on and are recruiting for the next year. That's Roundtree and Booker if you take a look to the southeast. Which means we are always looking to plug gaps and not advance as others seem to be doing.

Many have said that Brad has an "in" with the current crop due to his being Kramer's father and Kramer being on the Eagles with the rest of these kids. If Brad cannot deliver with this sort of advantage, then when can he?

[slu72]

Criticism from many posters of UB's past recruiting technique has been he goes after the top/cream and then offers second tier, eg Grimes/Shaw, and ends up with nada. All I was suggesting with this many openings, show some up front love to the second tier guys and sign them. Are you suggesting he go to Suggs and Brandenberg, and say sign now or I'm pulling it? Look if Suggs and Brandenberg have their hearts set on playing in the Big 10, 12, or ACC, the Eagle BBQ's they're families attended together ain't going to amount to a hill of beans. In the Spring of '08 the Arena's about done, maybe if those two hold off, seeing a new weight room, player's lounge, etc will flip them our way.

[thebillikensfriend]

ok 1st of all the recruiting isnt solely on brad...thats what he has assistants for to recruit...AT is a recruiter that likes the inner city kids and especially the chi town area but he hasnt got a recruit in from those aresa, why? i dont think brad likes the idea of their style of play...grunk another recruiter for brad...i dont know who his recruits are or were but he just started as a higher assistant but he has to get us some players and the same goes for walker...brad isnt the only one to call the shots on the recruits but he has the final say...how does a school like VCU win over duke in the tourney?? they have 5 players that are good solid and are men...just look at those guys, they are cut, can jump, and drive to the bucket, and they were not top recruits in the nation....that is just an example....there are many schools out there that dont have top recruits in the nation...SIUC they never get a top recruit but guess what they get to the tourney somehow some way every year...i can go on and on and name schools that dont have top 100 top 50 recruits but seem to win games and competite for NCAA's every year....whats the excuse at slu????

[GOSLU68]

look at the All state list from Illinois and you will see SiuC and Illinois both have at least two from the three all state teams coming next year; Romar hired Brad to strengthen his Midwest recruiting where did it all dissappear to after he left Wisconsin? Usually I am a Brad

backer but this holding a scholarship deal and not signing any in fall

frosts me.

[willie]

Kramer will not be free. Brad has said that if he attends SLU he will be on scholarship. There are limitations for what walk ons can do so Brad would not put those limitations on Kramer. Since we never use all of our scholarships it rally doesn't make any difference.

[Quest]

What the hell?

<<>>

Ok, then fire Angres Thorpe? What the hell? You don't know a thing about college basketball....Brad doesn't like their style of play?!?! What?!?! Are you insane? First of all, Brad can't be picky about recruits and this excuse DOES NOT FLY WITH ANYONE! He hasn't even been to Chicago to recruit, according to my sources within the Athletic Department. No KC, no Chicago, no anywhere. You are all idiots. Doesn't like their style of play...Soderberg is no Bob Huggins.

[Billikan]

Just because you are able to find a way to avoid the ban does not mean you are someone who is welcome on this site!