Recruiting for Brad's system

[3star_recruit]

All we (and prospective recruits) have is Brad's word that he will run once he gets a squad of athletic marksmen who can get out in transition as well as bury the three. But those types of kids are normally 4 star recruits who are not going to come here when they've got better offers from winning squads who run NOW.

Right now we're running a halfcourt motion offense that requires automatic jumpshooters. The problem is we only have one automatic jumpshooter coming in and he's having to replace the automatic jumpshooter (before his injury) that just left. Luke Meyer is a set shooter, which is fine when you're 6'8, but problematic when you're 6'5.

Jeff Ryan, Dustin Maguire, Paul Bayer are all big guards with deadly jumpshots. Is it really any surprise that Brad is interested in them, just as he was interested in Colin Falls (who is lighting it up at Notre Dame) and Tim Blackwell (who is lighting it up at UMKC after initially signing with Creighton)? The problem is, the Big 10 and Big East are also interested in the aforementioned players. Hopefully the big-name programs will fill their marksmen quota in the fall and one of these guys will be available in the spring.

[jjray]

I don't know if recruiting athletes is our problem unless we are talking about athletic bigs. If we turned our nose up at taking X as a transfer, obviously Brad must think he has his quota of athletes and / or has a pretty solid chance at landing more in the 2006 class. One would think it is an easier task to recruit shooters who also have some level of ability to play defense.

Meyer as a "set-shooter"? Meyer certainly has the ability to put the ball on the floor and can get himself to the line as a consequence. Also plays solid D. My biggest problem with Meyer is not that he likes to have his feet set when shooting anything other than a runner in the lane, it's how long it takes him to get his shot off and that low release point out in front of his body (just needs too much space to get it off). We need guys who are automatic catch & shoot with the 3 ... last time I bring up his name, Blake Ahern.

[billiken_roy]

it is my opinion that i bet we didnt "run off" price as much as we didnt tell him what he wanted to hear. he would be the man. brad has always been blatantly honest with us as boosters and i bet even more so with recruits.

[Basketbill]

What I mean, is that you can't plug him in without thinking about the consequences.

Now would he have been happy only getting 10-15 minutes per game?

Would we have been happy with his turnovers?

Most importantly, if we are trying to build a good program rather than just a good team, wuld it upset the recruiting scene. ie would a recruit be less likely to come because of a forseen PT shortage.

Recently we heard about Dustin McGuire being offered, might he have looked unfavorably on XP being at slu for 3 years? Would our team over the next five years be better off with DM or XP.....

those are the things I wonder about, i do not know the answers.

[tseugnekillib]

Again, the majority of all made field goals come out of some type of half-court set. Soderberg's more athletic players will take advantage of fast-break opportunites that present themselves. Because SLU has more athletic players than ever, we will see more transition buckets. However, we are not going to see a 94' track meet, with bad shot selection. Won't happen. Shouldn't happen.

From reading this board, it appears that five or six guys may have been "offered". (Lenard, Hill, Dustin McG, a kid in Minnesota, etc.) I don't believe that has happened. I don't believe Soderberg makes more "offers"

than immediate scholarships available.

This for sure......Soderberg won't use scholarships on risk talent just to fill uniforms. He is working hard to build a program. He'll sign perimeter players and bigs. Time will tell, stay patient.

[Billikenbooster]

probably one of the most balanced sensible posts on the board in weeks. maybe I liked it cause it was optimistic, but still a great post.

mhg

[gister]

AMEN!

[ACE]

I'm having a more difficult time staying optimistic. It seems we are always waiting for something better to come along, and it usually doesn't. There's no guarantee we'll get any of the above mentioned players. I'm also getting a little tired of hearing about "Brad's system." We were 9-20something in Brad's system last year. Perhaps Brad needs to re-evaluate his system and not be so rigid.

[Billiken Rich]

This year and next are the make or break years for Brad's system. With next year being the much more important of the two. If in two years we are looking back at two years of losing ball Brad will (deservedly) be on the Pizzoti express to loserville. Till then you can ***** and moan with me joining in the chorus from time to time as well. We don't have any choice. I, at least this time, would prefer to be optimistic given the kids we do have coming in and Brads track record.

[billiken_roy]

tell me the team that essentially lost their best two returning players for more or less the entire season and went on to win the national championship.

bryant and frericks were this team going into the season.

that said, it aint a secret that i dont understand our inability to find a power forward over the last 15 seasons.

[ACE]

>tell me the team that essentially lost their best two

>returning players for more or less the entire season and

>went on to win the national championship.

>

>bryant and frericks were this team going into the season.

>

>that said, it aint a secret that i dont understand our

>inability to find a power forward over the last 15 seasons.

Frankly, the fact that Frericks was perhaps one of our two best players is the problem. Losing him shouldn't be that devastating. He wasn't exactly Sean May. Injuries happen, which hammers home my earlier point about how frustrating it is to have three available scholarships and still be unable to build the depth in the program. To have a frontline of JJ, VN, Ian and Bryce is not acceptable.

[Billiken Rich]

With respect, your last comment about Frerick leads me to believe you are acting as a troll rather than a serious poster.

[Billikenbooster]

Sorry, did not see the rest of the thread below when I wrote my post:

A big part of Brad's 'system' is relying heavily on his seniors and senior leadership. The two people who by their personality had leadership qualities, IMHO, were injured and not able to contribute to the level that was expected. It took a while to figure out what pieces of the puzzle were going to work where and how. After the Iowa game we were much more of a team and had a plan of attack which was more successful.

I don't remember a year in which we had such injuries to key people as last year.

No excuses, just what I see as a reasonable explanation. Now if this is a pattern that continues and we can't get over the hump, we need to re evaluate.

My concern for next year is that our bigs have this pattern of not improving year to year, going back a ways. IV, LM and DP are keys, and obviously the two frosh.

Let's never forget they are freshmen and as did DP, need a period of adjustment. Hopefully they will have time to play together during the summer (health wise allowing) and can move along together as a team.

[ACE]

>With respect, your last comment about Frerick leads me to

>believe you are acting as a troll rather than a serious

>poster.

Say what? My comments were not a knock on Tom personally. I admired his effort and he filled his role well, but let's be real here. He was not an all-conference caliber player. He didn't even average in double figures. Injuries happen. UAB had a bunch of injuries throughout the year, but they had enough depth in the program to still make the Big Dance. My comments were less about Tom and more about the lack of depth in the program.

[billiken_roy]

the tone of your post was "we were 9-20something". my point is we were 9 adn 20something because we suffered two concurrent season long injuries to our 2 best players and no team goes through that without taking a bump in their road.

you wont get an argument from me about our frontcourt.

[billiken_roy]

i disagree. imo, had tom been healthy all season long he very well may have contended as one of the best frontcourt players in the conference. he wasnt pretty, but when healthy he was effective.

[Billiken Rich]

If you can't see the loss of Tom and Reggie as nearly impossible to overcome I have no time for you. Tom wasn't Shaq but he was one of the best centers to play for the Billikens since I've been watching them. Ian stepped up and was servicable but not yet great. Losing Reggie was almost worse in that he was still here but not as capable as we knew he could be. Take Deiner from Marquette or Reggie and Tom from the Bills and we'll suck. Take two starting seniors at random from most programs and they'll likely suck. Take two starting seniors off a rebuilding team that was humped as hard as we were by Romar's defection and I'll guarantee you they'll suck.

You are a troll

[ACE]

>If you can't see the loss of Tom and Reggie as nearly

>impossible to overcome I have no time for you. Tom wasn't

>Shaq but he was one of the best centers to play for the

>Billikens since I've been watching them. Ian stepped up and

>was servicable but not yet great. Losing Reggie was almost

>worse in that he was still here but not as capable as we

>knew he could be. Take Deiner from Marquette or Reggie and

>Tom from the Bills and we'll suck. Take two starting

>seniors at random from most programs and they'll likely

>suck. Take two starting seniors off a rebuilding team that

>was humped as hard as we were by Romar's defection and I'll

>guarantee you they'll suck.

>

>You are a troll

Wow! What a mature way to handle the discussion. We have a difference of opinion and I am labeled a "troll." Realy classy.

[ACE]

>i disagree. imo, had tom been healthy all season long he

>very well may have contended as one of the best frontcourt

>players in the conference. he wasnt pretty, but when

>healthy he was effective.

Ian averaged 6.9 points and 5.4 rebounds this past year. The year before, Tom averaged 7.7 points and 6.0 rebounds. Tom probably brought a few more intangibles, but on the other side, if Ian had started from the beginning of this year, his numbers would have been better. Tom's loss hurt yes, but I just don't see where it was a huge drop off.

[billikendave]

I do not blame Brad at all for the lack of depth at this point. The fact there were/are no Romar recruits left when Brad has only been here three full seasons says volumes about what he inherited.

We all get used to the pros who can immediately fill in a hole by signing a free agent. The closest thing that a college team can do is sign a juco. The only true way to build a program is by recruiting and signing high school players. It takes time -- 4+ years to do it right without short cuts or landing a stud.

My patience will officially wear out if we have another 9-20 season in 06-07. Only then will we be able to see all of Brad's non-stop gap recruits playing in his system with some level of experience.

[ACE]

>I do not blame Brad at all for the lack of depth at this

>point. The fact there were/are no Romar recruits left when

>Brad has only been here three full seasons says volumes

>about what he inherited.

>

>We all get used to the pros who can immediately fill in a

>hole by signing a free agent. The closest thing that a

>college team can do is sign a juco. The only true way to

>build a program is by recruiting and signing high school

>players. It takes time -- 4+ years to do it right without

>short cuts or landing a stud.

>

>My patience will officially wear out if we have another 9-20

>season in 06-07. Only then will we be able to see all of

>Brad's non-stop gap recruits playing in his system with some

>level of experience.

I agree with the crux of your statement and I'm not bashing Brad. But the fact that it will take to develop players here is why I'm frustrated that we still have three scholarships just sitting there. I'm realistic enough not to expect big impact recruits right now, but I would like to see recruits with potential signed this spring. The sooner they can get in the program start developing the better.

[Billiken Rich]

You are a troll, based on your entire body of work not just this thread. I'm a bit of a soccer troll myself, once in a while. No problem with that really. We just should call a spade a spade, detective.

[3star_recruit]

We've had an injury to somebody for the last three years, whether it was Marque or Diener or Tom or Reggie. I agree that any team is going to take a major hit when they lose two starters. But when you go into a season with only 10 players, you're season could go into the crapper just by losing one starter. If Ian goes down for any length of time next season and JJ's in the doghouse, guess who will be called to play 25+ minutes a game? Husak. That's Brad's fault.

[billiken_roy]

frericks was a far better defender. actually ran the floor whereas ian never beat anyone down the floor including all three refs. ian's numbers didnt surpass tom's from tom's injured junior season. and had tom stayed healthy, i was expecting more in the neighborhood of 12 ppg and 9 rpg.

[billiken_roy]

no argument there. there is no excuse that i can think of that justifies what our frontcourt roster situation is. we should have been in on a player to sign this season.