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(03-10-2017 01:54 PM)Mungumry Blazer Wrote:  Can we please stop recruiting these "athletic" players and recruit some true basketball talent. Guys that can actually shoot a jump shot, follow a shot, throw a pass, catch a ball, pump fake and drive, use the glass on a shot, and in the words of Gene Bartow, "knows what to do with the ball when he's near the boards." Because right now we have maybe two that have real basketball talent.

UAB and its contemporaries are pretty far down the list for "true basketball talent" recruits. Most of our successes have been with developing "athletic players" who were undervalued by more traditional power teams who have greater recruiting war chests. With the likes of Vaden and Lee, UAB got lucky due to blessed circumstances (as did UAB FB with Hackney and White).

Furthermore, UAB has not had a nationally respected BBHC to come close to matching Gene Bartow to attract such players to our program. ALL the conference affiliations were negotiated with Gene Bartow as our leader, and UAB's only move since was almost (forcibly) carried out by the actions of the BOT and Ray Watts in 2014-15.

(03-10-2017 01:54 PM)Mungumry Blazer Wrote:  Can we please stop recruiting these "athletic" players and recruit some true basketball talent. Guys that can actually shoot a jump shot, follow a shot, throw a pass, catch a ball, pump fake and drive, use the glass on a shot, and in the words of Gene Bartow, "knows what to do with the ball when he's near the boards." Because right now we have maybe two that have real basketball talent.

I feel like we have a fairly talented core of Lee, Cokley, Norton, JD, and Darling. The problem is none of those guys are great one-on-one defenders or consistent, volume scorers. Other than JD, I would say the rest aren't faster than the average college player. That's why we need an athletic wing and post player. JD could turn into an elite defender, but he might need two college offseasons, and we need someone next year who can both defend and score consistently at the guard position.

Right now, JD and Deion play the same position on offense. All drive & no shoot as 2 guards.

Nick will have 2 pgs to spell him in Bryant and Hurtado.

So we have Nate at the 3, maybe splitting it with Haha and Gueye, if he doesn't redshirt.

Cokley, & Sullivan at the 4.

And Smallwood at the 5.

We are in desperate need of a post player or 2

I think we should recruit more 6'6" -6'9" guys that can all run and can play the 2, 3 or 4.

And then press every possession

(03-10-2017 01:20 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Lavender is classified as a sophomore. So he has two more years.

So does Nick

We need a big man badly.

So what do you guys think about Makhtar Gueye? He had thirteen offers from "BIG" schools. After watching videos of him I see why.

I would not be the least bit surprised if next years starters are Norton, Williams, Lee, Cokley, and Gueye.

(03-12-2017 10:36 AM)TheGORILLA Wrote:  So what do you guys think about Makhtar Gueye?

After watching videos of him, I would not be the least bit surprised if next years starters are Norton, Williams, Lee, Cokley, and Gueye.

+1

Lavender instead of JD. Maybe the Juco guard we just offered.

(03-12-2017 10:36 AM)TheGORILLA Wrote:  So what do you guys think about Makhtar Gueye? He had thirteen offers from "BIG" schools. After watching videos of him I see why.

I would not be the least bit surprised if next years starters are Norton, Williams, Lee, Cokley, and Gueye.

Javien can't shoot. Neither can Deion. Gueye is thinner than Lee. I kind of expect a 2 headed center out of Smallwood and Sullivan.

Don't be surprised if our starting center has not yet signed. ;-)

Love the upside to Gueye. Need to put some weight in his frame.

(03-12-2017 11:29 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Don't be surprised if our starting center has not yet signed. ;-)

Love the upside to Gueye. Need to put some weight in his frame.

Grad transfer or JC?

Maybe next year I can bring back the Who2√4 .... /he said the past several years

I'm not convinced Javien can't shoot, but I do see him as a Torrey Ward type of player.

Darling can do more than shoot. He is a terrific passer.

We need 3-point shooters, badly!

(03-12-2017 12:27 PM)RobSmith Wrote:  Maybe next year I can bring back the Who2√4 .... /he said the past several years

When's the last time we were on the bubble? 2011?

(03-10-2017 02:43 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  

(03-10-2017 01:54 PM)Mungumry Blazer Wrote:  Can we please stop recruiting these "athletic" players and recruit some true basketball talent. Guys that can actually shoot a jump shot, follow a shot, throw a pass, catch a ball, pump fake and drive, use the glass on a shot, and in the words of Gene Bartow, "knows what to do with the ball when he's near the boards." Because right now we have maybe two that have real basketball talent.

UAB and its contemporaries are pretty far down the list for "true basketball talent" recruits. Most of our successes have been with developing "athletic players" who were undervalued by more traditional power teams who have greater recruiting war chests. With the likes of Vaden and Lee, UAB got lucky due to blessed circumstances (as did UAB FB with Hackney and White).

Furthermore, UAB has not had a nationally respected BBHC to come close to matching Gene Bartow to attract such players to our program. ALL the conference affiliations were negotiated with Gene Bartow as our leader, and UAB's only move since was almost (forcibly) carried out by the actions of the BOT and Ray Watts in 2014-15.

Don't tell me we can't get basketball players who are fundamentally sound. If anything I would think that that is more the type of player we COULD get.......fundamentally sound but maybe an inch or two short, maybe a step slow etc. Problem is, under Haase, he himself said that the "athletic player" was more of what they wanted to recruit. Eshan just seems to be an extension of Haase. You don't have to be a "nationally respected BBHC" to recruit a fundamentally sound player.

(03-12-2017 12:47 PM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  I'm not convinced Javien can't shoot, but I do see him as a Torrey Ward type of player.

Darling can do more than shoot. He is a terrific passer.

We need 3-point shooters, badly!

I thought the same thing. Torrey had to work hard on his jumper because at first he was a super athletic dunking machine who couldn't consistently hit jump shots.

We need perimeter defenders. Badly.

(03-12-2017 12:02 PM)Motley Blazer Wrote:  

(03-12-2017 11:29 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Don't be surprised if our starting center has not yet signed. ;-)

Love the upside to Gueye. Need to put some weight in his frame.

Grad transfer or JC?

He's joshing.

(03-12-2017 10:36 AM)TheGORILLA Wrote:  So what do you guys think about Makhtar Gueye? He had thirteen offers from "BIG" schools. After watching videos of him I see why.

I would not be the least bit surprised if next years starters are Norton, Williams, Lee, Cokley, and Gueye.

His offer list according to 247 is impressive. Was the Florida offer legitimate? I don't think their listed weight of 210 pounds is accurate.

I'm not Joshing......... ;-)