(02-11-2017 10:57 AM)757ODU Wrote:  We have to add a big man or we are going to be in big trouble next year.

(02-11-2017 11:02 AM)Mr.BigBlue Wrote:  The hardest thing at our level is to recruit freshman big men. When you add the fact that we need players at that position that are skilled it makes it impossible. The JUCO route us a crap shoot but that what we have to utilize. I am a little disappointed that our asst. coaches have not done a better job recruiting overall.

(02-11-2017 11:02 AM)Mr.BigBlue Wrote:  The hardest thing at our level is to recruit freshman big men. When you add the fact that we need players at that position that are skilled it makes it impossible. The JUCO route us a crap shoot but that what we have to utilize. I am a little disappointed that our asst. coaches have not done a better job recruiting overall.

(02-11-2017 10:49 AM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  In trying to assess what has happened to our Men's Basketball team, I have been asking myself what has happened in two years to make this season so miserable. Jeff Jones did a masterful coaching job his first two years. He took a 5-25 team that lost it's only legitimate big man and went 18-18. He followed that up by taking a team with one player that was over 6'5" (then freshman Denzell Taylor at 6'7") and got us a brief Top 25 ranking and an NIT Final Four. I was excited to think what he could do when he gets some physically gifted players.

By all accounts, this years team is the biggest, strongest, most athletic team that Jeff Jones has had. So what happened?

Razor mentioned that Jeff Jones has yet to recruit a freshman big man. I thought about that for a while and it hit me. Not only has he not recruited a freshman big man, but he got off to a very slow start on recruiting freshman period.

When Jeff Jones took the job, the first recruiting period was pretty much over. He had Denzell Taylor, Jordan Baker, and Ramone Snowden (I know, let's not revisit that again.) After his first season, however, he did not land any freshman recruits (which would be this year's junior class). This year's junior class consists of Brandon Stith (not himself for injury or whatever reason), Randy Haynes, and Allasane Kah, all transfers. I think that is biting us right now.

In fact, in looking at this year's roster, I only see 4 scholarship players that Jeff Jones has recruited as freshmen: Ahmad Caver, Aaron Carver, Zoran Talley and Xavier Green. All are sophomores or freshmen.

Granted, you always want to keep some room on the roster for a good transfer (Trey Freeman), but maybe we are seeing the limits of trying to build a team with transfers.

Freshman recruiting appears to be picking up with the players mentioned above as well as this year's incoming class. We need to add a freshman big to get some game experience before Brandon Stith graduates.

Anyway, this year has been frustrating on any number of levels, but I am optimistic about the younger guys. Thoughts?

(02-11-2017 11:07 AM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  

(02-11-2017 11:02 AM)Mr.BigBlue Wrote:  The hardest thing at our level is to recruit freshman big men. When you add the fact that we need players at that position that are skilled it makes it impossible. The JUCO route us a crap shoot but that what we have to utilize. I am a little disappointed that our asst. coaches have not done a better job recruiting overall.

Middle Tennessee, UAB, FIU, etc. seem to be able to do it. Blaine Taylor did it.

If it were easy, I would take the job. Jeff Jones is getting paid 6 figures to get this done.

(02-11-2017 10:49 AM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  In trying to assess what has happened to our Men's Basketball team, I have been asking myself what has happened in two years to make this season so miserable. Jeff Jones did a masterful coaching job his first two years. He took a 5-25 team that lost it's only legitimate big man and went 18-18. He followed that up by taking a team with one player that was over 6'5" (then freshman Denzell Taylor at 6'7") and got us a brief Top 25 ranking and an NIT Final Four. I was excited to think what he could do when he gets some physically gifted players.

By all accounts, this years team is the biggest, strongest, most athletic team that Jeff Jones has had. So what happened?

Razor mentioned that Jeff Jones has yet to recruit a freshman big man. I thought about that for a while and it hit me. Not only has he not recruited a freshman big man, but he got off to a very slow start on recruiting freshman period.

When Jeff Jones took the job, the first recruiting period was pretty much over. He had Denzell Taylor, Jordan Baker, and Ramone Snowden (I know, let's not revisit that again.) After his first season, however, he did not land any freshman recruits (which would be this year's junior class). This year's junior class consists of Brandon Stith (not himself for injury or whatever reason), Randy Haynes, and Allasane Kah, all transfers. I think that is biting us right now.

In fact, in looking at this year's roster, I only see 4 scholarship players that Jeff Jones has recruited as freshmen: Ahmad Caver, Aaron Carver, Zoran Talley and Xavier Green. All are sophomores or freshmen.

Granted, you always want to keep some room on the roster for a good transfer (Trey Freeman), but maybe we are seeing the limits of trying to build a team with transfers.

Freshman recruiting appears to be picking up with the players mentioned above as well as this year's incoming class. We need to add a freshman big to get some game experience before Brandon Stith graduates.

Anyway, this year has been frustrating on any number of levels, but I am optimistic about the younger guys. Thoughts?

(02-11-2017 04:15 PM)JJMonarch Wrote:  

(02-11-2017 10:49 AM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  In trying to assess what has happened to our Men's Basketball team, I have been asking myself what has happened in two years to make this season so miserable. Jeff Jones did a masterful coaching job his first two years. He took a 5-25 team that lost it's only legitimate big man and went 18-18. He followed that up by taking a team with one player that was over 6'5" (then freshman Denzell Taylor at 6'7") and got us a brief Top 25 ranking and an NIT Final Four. I was excited to think what he could do when he gets some physically gifted players.

By all accounts, this years team is the biggest, strongest, most athletic team that Jeff Jones has had. So what happened?

Razor mentioned that Jeff Jones has yet to recruit a freshman big man. I thought about that for a while and it hit me. Not only has he not recruited a freshman big man, but he got off to a very slow start on recruiting freshman period.

When Jeff Jones took the job, the first recruiting period was pretty much over. He had Denzell Taylor, Jordan Baker, and Ramone Snowden (I know, let's not revisit that again.) After his first season, however, he did not land any freshman recruits (which would be this year's junior class). This year's junior class consists of Brandon Stith (not himself for injury or whatever reason), Randy Haynes, and Allasane Kah, all transfers. I think that is biting us right now.

In fact, in looking at this year's roster, I only see 4 scholarship players that Jeff Jones has recruited as freshmen: Ahmad Caver, Aaron Carver, Zoran Talley and Xavier Green. All are sophomores or freshmen.

Granted, you always want to keep some room on the roster for a good transfer (Trey Freeman), but maybe we are seeing the limits of trying to build a team with transfers.

Freshman recruiting appears to be picking up with the players mentioned above as well as this year's incoming class. We need to add a freshman big to get some game experience before Brandon Stith graduates.

Anyway, this year has been frustrating on any number of levels, but I am optimistic about the younger guys. Thoughts?

You make some good points BB35. I think we tend to forget how much our program was in the dumps when Jones took it over. Blaine Taylor was holding this program together on a thin thread. Not only were Baker and Taylor the only recruits but we had nothing from the class before either, except for Bacote, who was a great get. I think part of all of that is why Jones went the JUCO route so early with Ebondo, Douglas,, and even Pervier.

I blame Blaine Taylor as much for tearing down our program than Jones inability to bring in some freshman impact players right away. Some people may disagree with that, but at a time when our program should have been flourishing we were bringing in guys like Pimemtel, some 6'8" white kid from a prep school up north, and some other kid ( can't even recall his name) that didn't belong in D1.

For that reason I don't necessarily say I give Jones a pass for this season because I think this team has underperformed but I am not ready ( like some on here) that thinks he should be fired or that we are not going anywhere.
From all accounts I hear Green is a stud and he looks the part in warmups. He has good size, a great looking shot and great hops. I understand they are grooming him to be a PG. Whether he is a PG or SG he could be a real star in the future. You throw him into the mix with our returning lineup and the freshmen we have coming in and I am super excited for next year.

I have loved watching Denzel Taylor and Jordon Baker these last 4 years but I believe this coaching staff is bringing in guys that can put the ball in the hole. It may not have come to fruition yet but we are still young in that regard. I don't think the cupboard is bare by any stretch and our best days are ahead.

The one glaring weakness I see has already been mentioned above. This staff has yet to bring in a freshman big that can contribute but getting back to my earlier comment I will blame some of that on the urgency to bring in players that could contribute right away. Say what you want about our recruiting but Jones and staff knew they had a strong backcourt in Freeman and Bacote and tried to bring players in immediately in the front court to contribute. It didn't work out too well unfortunately except for transfers Stith and Porter this year. Douglas could have possibly put us over the top last year If he had behaved and Privier was a bust. I hope the coaching staff can find a freshman big soon to round out our 2017 class or find one for the next season in the early signing period. Then our spirits will all be lifted a little.

(02-11-2017 10:57 AM)757ODU Wrote:  We have to add a big man or we are going to be in big trouble next year.

(02-11-2017 11:01 AM)mac Wrote:  We will add a big man.