New Mexico just did....
Craig Neal was fired today, though his seat was hot and likely was playing for his job this year. The transfers out the past couple of weeks looks to have forced the AD's hand.
***Official 2017 Transfer Thread***
- Thread starter Messi
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New Mexico just did....
Craig Neal was fired today, though his seat was hot and likely was playing for his job this year. The transfers out the past couple of weeks looks to have forced the AD's hand.
True, and the unbalanced schollie is archaic, but unbalanced roster isn't. Given we have many needs for next year, using a scholarship to add another guard to the three coming is a bit redundant unless this kid is elite. Same situation as Wright, except at least Wright could help us next year.
I get that the grad transfers have changed the game but you can only start 5 guys, if 4 are guards, one has to sit. Even if you start 4 guards, you are telling any incoming recruits, you won't start until you are a junior at best . I'm all for taking whomever is the best available transfer but we are in our current situation because we just graduated 4 guards and 6 seniors, it definitely hurt recruiting,imagine our backcourt situation next year if Jackson hadn't stuck to his commitment.
McKinley Wright? You're an a weird poster, borderline troll vibe coming out of you.
Just PM next time.
Adding another guard for that class..Imo it probably needs to be a great one if it's going to use up a spot for next year without playing.
We will never get past the sweet 16 with a 4 guard system. Look at the final 4 teams, then us.
reb rank 3pt made rank
GONZ 10 81
UNC 2 96
ORE 30 50
USC 35 96
IAST 73 50
if you want to win consistently, you need at least 2 forwards. North Carolina has 4 forwards. Xavier (4g) was a fluke - an 11 seed that lost by 24 points in elite 8.
reb rank 3pt made rank
GONZ 10 81
UNC 2 96
ORE 30 50
USC 35 96
IAST 73 50
if you want to win consistently, you need at least 2 forwards. North Carolina has 4 forwards. Xavier (4g) was a fluke - an 11 seed that lost by 24 points in elite 8.
I agree with your point, but it's not as easy as it sounds for a school like ISU which is surrounded by farmland to attract 3-4 legit B12 bigmen at any one time.
Look at the proximity to talent for those schools, and/or how attractive their locations are for recruits.
Oregon has 7 kids from CA/OR/WA plus the rest of the benefits of Oregon speak for themselves.
UNC probably doesn't need much of an explanation but they have 13 kids out of 15 on their roster (not sure which are walkons, etc) that are from the Eastern seaboard.
South Carolina has 4 kids from their state, and their two best players are from SC.... Thornwell and Dozier.
Gonzaga recruits a little more nationally but they're now one of the top options on the West Coast along with Arizona, Oregon and UCLA.
It sure would be helpful if ISU had an occasional 4* bigman that was from our home state.
I think part of our "small ball" strategy has simply been we've had a hard time landing more than 1-2 B12 caliber bigs on any given roster.
When 5 of your top 7 players are guards, you play small ball.
IMO you can look to Villanova as the small ball poster child,they've been playing small for years, that seems to be the ceiling for teams that play like us. Sure Nova had a great run last year (and we'd all take it) but that was the only time this decade they've made it to the second weekend,in fact they hadn't been past the first weekend since 08/09, that includes second round losses as a 1(x2) and a 2 seed. Small ball can win you games during the regular season but you are rolling the dice with matchups once you get in the tourney.
The systematic recruiting challenge here is actually less for big men than guards, we just haven't prioritized that aspect much and/or been too uncompromising. Even then, the list of our forwards getting serious pro looks is just as long as our guards.
We will always put out best 5 players on the floor. If we get the chance to grab 2 good SF/PF types I'm sure we will grab them.
The tournament is a small sample size with a ton of variance, even when you're looking at all data instead of just 2 pieces. You could just as fairly look at the last 2 years of NBA and conclude that you have to play small ball to win.
Over a long term, the general rule for winning is "be good at both offense and defense."
Over a long term, the general rule for winning is "be good at both offense and defense."
Villanova also shot unbelievably well from 3 and overall during their run.
Like anything else in sports there are no absolutes and small ball can be successful too, but shooting as well as they did for several games in a row is extremely rare against tournament teams.
Agreed. Cameron Johnson is a freak athlete. Images of a Wigginton.Lewis.Johnson trio running through my mind.
Kid reminds me of Adel Nader only a better shooter.
@AdamZagoria: Auburn's Mustapha Heron is considering transferring. Will make a decision in the next two weeks, per source.
Would be highly sought after if he does.
Would be highly sought after if he does.
