Who's Next

[hilltopalum]

I think we should use the scholarship for a '13.

[fritzpointer]

I agree Hilltop. We still have good options. I bet it's been a tough day for Coach Lutz. Just go get the next one he might turn out better than Foster. Go Jays!

[Bluejay Bilas]

I am agreement with hilltopalum and fritzpointer on this one. In the next two years, we will be losing Echenique, Gibbs, Jones, McDermott, Manigat and Wragge. I am optimistic about Dingman, Chatman, Artino, Johnson, Groselle, Yates and Zierden, as well as the 5 guys who have verballed for 2013 and 2014, but...

One of our SG's leaves after this season, and one the season after that. Zierden is the only other current scholarship player at that position, and Harris seems to be the only verbal who arguably fits into that position. Compare where we stand at SG to any other position (PG- Chatman, Yates, and Norton(14); Forwards- Dingman, Johnson, Hegner(13), and Talbert(14); and C- Artino, Groselle, and Hanson(13)), and we clearly could use another option there. To avoid too huge of a program dropoff after McDermott leaves (assuming he plays two more years), I would rather we have another guard enter the program next summer rather than in 2014. If recruiting top 100/150 guys were as easy as Gtmo thinks it should be for CU, or if 2-3 of the aforementioned guys seemed certain for greatness, I might feel differently.

Waiting for the Spring would be unwise, as we are not a high major team that can wait with any sort of confidence for the handful of quality Spring commits. Not to mention that we do not seem to have existing relationships with the guys Gtmo would want next Spring. For 2014, I would like Tre'Shawn Thurman, but if we have no more 2014 spots because of our need to limit a tough rebuilding year, so be it. I think our current and hopefully future success will help play a role with the 2015 and beyond kids. The way I understand recruiting, the 2013 and 2014 guys we would want, excepting some late bloomers, already have solid relationships with various staffs and probably have a reasonable clue as to what schools they like. A tourney run next March, if it happens, is unlikely to have the Gtmo-desired effect for those kids. Plus, we're always going to have to deal with the whole MVC negative, which can only be ameliorated by continuing to build the brand over multiple years. Sort of like what Altman and co. started to do until he went to Arkansas and helped supervise the start of our 4-year stretch in the wilderness.

[TrueBlueJay]

I look at Dingman and Johnson as guards.

[cujaysfan]

JuCo is still something of an option.

If there is one position that JuCos truly excel at - it's producing SGs/SFs - I'd think we could plug either into that slot.

I feel right now that we're sitting on a high straight flush recruiting wise - but if we could turn that last card over that ace could give us the royal.

if we're going to consider that route - then waiting is an option.

[AttyAlum]

I trust the staff on this one and they certainly want to sign another, assuming they can get an athletic guard. They know who they want and have narrowed the options down to just a couple of players. I get the impression that they will take one of these two or three kids, but aren't going to give the scholarship out just to give it out.

More than perhaps any staff in the country, our staff is uniquely situated to know what their all-american player's plans are after this season. If he's leaving, we should absolutely sign a kid this year rather than waiting until next year.

I also don't like waiting until the spring unless we absolutely can't get a guy we want this fall. Spring signing periods are usually chock full of top 50 kids who are picking between the blueblood programs, kids that had a hard time getting academically eligible (and may not ever become eligible) and JUCOs. The problem with JUCOs, aside from the obvious 2 year limitation, is that they tend to choose schools where they can get immediate playing time. With our level of depth right now, I doubt we are going to be all that appealing to many JUCOs. Dana did well with JUCOs because he was usually plugging holes of some type; MAc and staff haven't left that many holes.

[cujaysfan]

i'm not sure that matters as much.

players generally aren't afraid to compete - and if they think they're better (and most players do) - they may not shy away from it considering all the other positives we have to sell.

don't get me wrong - i prefer 4 year players - but Mac certainly isn't afraid to try and lure jucos. heck - we were this close to landing pierre jackson - and he knew that toine was the starter and was a pretty solid player - and we also already had jj and jm at the two...

i think we would have landed him if we weren't going head to head with baylor (who i think is about the most shady school out there right now) instead of any other D1 school out there

[FreddyMac]

It sucks to lose Foster but we're still in absolutely great shape in recruiting. We got three kids that we really wanted and with the "extra" scholarship we can go for the elite guys or not go for anyone at all. To me John Dawson still looks good and Shirmane Thomas is still on the table and frankly if WSU wants him badly then that's good enough for me because they recruit athletes and that's what we need with this last scholarship. If everything falls through this fall then see if an awesome JUCO, late qualifier, or big time transfer falls into our lap in the spring then take it and if not then just move on to next year.

[cujaysfan]

great point on transfer.

while i don't wanna become moo u (ia state) - and build the program on transfers

we're doing damn well with the two guys we have on the roster in gibbs and big GE

if we could find that athletic 2 guy on the rebound - that'd be great.

[AttyAlum]

I wonder if Lutz knows anybody on Texas Tech that may be looking for a new home?