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Luis Santos Commits to SLU


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1 hour ago, TheChosenOne said:

Would you say Santos was plan A? This is probably the first signing that I am kind of struggling with on paper. Obviously I have not seen much of any of the guys Ford has signed (beyond Goodwin and then Gordon the following class), but this one doesn't make sense to me. It almost looks like an insurance policy on a few of the guys we have lined up on paper for the 2018-2019 season.

We have 2 scholarships available for next season. One scholarship opens up after next season with Roby graduating. With 2 verbal commitments for 2018 it will be interesting to see what we do to fill out the roster for this season. If you add 2 and neither is a grad transfer, you need one transfer out just to not be over committed for 2018.

Santos fills a need and adds diversification in the paint. He also fits the future plan.

Bigs are not linear. Bigs take time to develop and you have to look at this position completely differently than any other position. Here is the upside - he already has the size; the outgoing bigs will never have the size, you can't teach size or develop size. Now, combine this with having him play a year without losing a year of eligibility - development while playing against good players. 

When evaluating bigs you look for potential. Paper stats don't mean a ton especially when you are looking at the big picture and the future. The existing bigs were never going to have size. If you want to be successful then you need athletic or sizeable bigs. Bigs are analogous to flipping houses - you look for potential and calculate the effort put in and the return potential in the end.  The price per square foot has to make sense - you can't put too much equity in and there has to be adaquate space or square footage. He fits this equation nicely. 

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1 hour ago, The Pelican said:

Santos fills a need and adds diversification in the paint. He also fits the future plan.

Bigs are not linear. Bigs take time to develop and you have to look at this position completely differently than any other position. Here is the upside - he already has the size; the outgoing bigs will never have the size, you can't teach size or develop size. Now, combine this with having him play a year without losing a year of eligibility - development while playing against good players. 

When evaluating bigs you look for potential. Paper stats don't mean a ton especially when you are looking at the big picture and the future. The existing bigs were never going to have size. If you want to be successful then you need athletic or sizeable bigs. Bigs are analogous to flipping houses - you look for potential and calculate the effort put in and the return potential in the end.  The price per square foot has to make sense - you can't put too much equity in and there has to be adaquate space or square footage. He fits this equation nicely. 

This post reads very pretentiously, may need to get over yourself just a bit.

I don't question the positional need and I understand how skill development works specifically with bigs, but I don't fully understand adding a transfer with this scholarship. Seems like the need is there now though and if we add a true big in this class the numbers game becomes quite strange a year from now in my opinion. He is a 22 year old sophomore, so one could also question how great the development will be compared to an 18 year old out of high school. I know very little about this guys game, just don't fully understand this one on paper (it's like we are recruiting over someone Ford has signed, but hasn't played yet). That is fine though, no fan should love every decision their program makes and discussion is what this board is for. If he does experience significant development I agree that this makes us a better team on paper in 2018-19 than we were a day ago.

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7 minutes ago, TheChosenOne said:

This post reads very pretentiously, may need to get over yourself just a bit.

I don't question the positional need and I understand how skill development works specifically with bigs, but I don't fully understand adding a transfer with this scholarship. Seems like the need is there now though and if we add a true big in this class the numbers game becomes quite strange a year from now in my opinion. He is a 22 year old sophomore, so one could also question how great the development will be compared to an 18 year old out of high school. I know very little about this guys game, just don't fully understand this one on paper. That is fine though, no fan should love every decision their program makes and discussion is what this board is for.

Why in the world would you think development would be limited because of being 22?  You don't think a 25 year old NBA player develops after leaving college?  I can well remember when we played Huggins' Cincinnati teams and how they bullied us right off the court.  From top to bottom we have never had a roster as physical as this one.  

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10 minutes ago, HenryB said:

Why in the world would you think development would be limited because of being 22?  You don't think a 25 year old NBA player develops after leaving college?  I can well remember when we played Huggins' Cincinnati teams and how they bullied us right off the court.  From top to bottom we have never had a roster as physical as this one.  

Tpically the older you get the closer you are to reaching your full potential. Obviously all players are different, but a valid reason to tamper the developmental angle. There are other variables that can lessen that concern though.

The positional fit makes sense, but it seems like an immediate need. That is my primary question with this signing, taking a transfer over a guy who can play immediately.

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I don't get it either. You're spending a scholarship on a player who has to sit out a year, then he may or may not pan out. Transfer years should be used on a player that you're pretty sure will be a big contributor when he's eligible. Would have rather seen a high school player.

In the next 2 years Crawford, Agbeko, Moore, Neufeld, Gillmann, and Roby are outgoing. Goodwin, French, Santos, Gordon, and Thatch are incoming. So Gillmann leaving didn't really open up any more scholarships, still 1 scholarship left.

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Checked USF basketball forum.  Orlando Antiqua recruited Santos from NY.  The coach was a great recruiter and got Santos to come to USF.  I think this was a hidden gem that FORD got.  The kid sounded like he had some good moments and was developing throughout last year as a sophomore.  We would be jumping for joy if we got the #4 player coming out of the Bronx, NY like they did in Santos.  Give it time.  He just needs a little refinement I pray.

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I think sometimes this Board get talking without looking at the actual situation.  All this talk about needing a big for next year is an example of that.  As I see it we have 5 players who are capable of playing the 4/5 position:  Foreman, Bess, Johnson, French and Welmer.  Yes Welmer might not be available until late Dec, but that still leaves us with 4 players for the 1st semester who can play against 4/5s on other teams with EW becoming available in the Jan timeframe.  I see all of them (assuming an improved JJ) as upgrades over last year.  Adding another big would possibly be just adding another player to fill a bench role next year, as Santos is going to be doing as a redshirt.  I think 4 players for those 2 positions are sufficient and adding one more (unless a high 4* or above) would not add much, if anything to next years squad.  Having a guy with LS's body ready to step in the following year is equivalent to recruiting a wide-body JUCO in 2018 year's class.

With regard to the 1-3 spots, we have Goodwin, ADH, Bishop and Roby to get us through the 1st semester plus hopefully Pickett.  Those 5 should be a big improvement over last year and will become even better when Graves becomes eligible. 

As I see it, that will be quite a team with a strong possibility of getting a NCAA bid out of the A-10.  This team will be light years better than last years and I think aiming for an NIT bid is underestimating their potential.

Drinking a little more Kool-Aid - adding Santos, Gordan, Thatch and one more available scholarship the following year and we should be able to advance a few rounds in the Tournament.

My point is, I think we are ok, position wise next year and those of you writing that we needed another big next year are just not looking at the actual team make-up.  I know some of you say we can't count on Foreman (injury wise) but I haven't heard that from anyone with knowledge of the team.

Edited by bauman
typos
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Reference a loss to Uconn:

 

Sophomore forward Luis Santos bodied his way into putting up his first two points of the night, and got the Bulls within two points.

“I thought Luis was great,” Bartow said. “Showed great heart and energy, played well.”

 

Back to big fella, Santos had a nasty block on UConn senior forward Kentan Facey.

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1 hour ago, TheChosenOne said:

This post reads very pretentiously, may need to get over yourself just a bit.

I don't question the positional need and I understand how skill development works specifically with bigs, but I don't fully understand adding a transfer with this scholarship. Seems like the need is there now though and if we add a true big in this class the numbers game becomes quite strange a year from now in my opinion. He is a 22 year old sophomore, so one could also question how great the development will be compared to an 18 year old out of high school. I know very little about this guys game, just don't fully understand this one on paper (it's like we are recruiting over someone Ford has signed, but hasn't played yet). That is fine though, no fan should love every decision their program makes and discussion is what this board is for. If he does experience significant development I agree that this makes us a better team on paper in 2018-19 than we were a day ago.

Pretentiously? Huh. People are questioning the add of a former 4-star (#starsmatter) brickhouse to the roster? Huh. What are your expectations for next season? A final four? I'm expecting, as a total homer and optimist, a tournament appearance. That would be swell. As for 2018-19? I'm expecting, as bauman posited, the sky to be the limit. Santos will help. A 22-year old who didn't pick up the sport until his teenage years can't improve? Huh. Imagine this kid in 2 years just punishing other conference kids. Could be straight unfair. How folks around here, having seen the Jolly, Neufeld, Gillmann, Manning's etc. come through can find ways to complain is hilarious. Trusting the staff, and letting him hit the floor before doubting his abilities seems like a reasonable course of action here

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1 hour ago, TheChosenOne said:

This post reads very pretentiously, may need to get over yourself just a bit.

I don't question the positional need and I understand how skill development works specifically with bigs, but I don't fully understand adding a transfer with this scholarship. Seems like the need is there now though and if we add a true big in this class the numbers game becomes quite strange a year from now in my opinion. He is a 22 year old sophomore, so one could also question how great the development will be compared to an 18 year old out of high school. I know very little about this guys game, just don't fully understand this one on paper (it's like we are recruiting over someone Ford has signed, but hasn't played yet). That is fine though, no fan should love every decision their program makes and discussion is what this board is for. If he does experience significant development I agree that this makes us a better team on paper in 2018-19 than we were a day ago.

I'm sorry you feel that way. I will do some self reflection. 

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