oleskl Wrote:I'm amazed by people that can't come to grips with the fact that sometimes you lose recruiting battles for no other reason than you got beat out for a kid. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, it happens.

Careful!!! Common sense is actually quite uncommon.

zengardener Wrote:I think it's safe to say the fact that UT had an obvious opening at PG gave them quite an advantage with Maze. Mick won the battle for Cash, which was a helluva lot more important and impressive than landing Maze.

Chances were that Maze was going to back-up Cash. Mick was looking for depth at PG, not a starter, which he already has in Cash. I'll take a blue chip HS PG over a juco PG anyday, especially one with baggage and academic uncertainties. All the juco PG's that turned out to be busts under Huggs (with the sole exception of Nick) are ample testament to that.

Vaughn will back up the point. His skills at that position should get better each year, as his abilities with the ball and court vision continue to improve.

Exactly.

How many guards does UT have returning? I think the answer is one or two, if I am not mistaken. I think its 3 gone with "graduation" and Smith getting booted.

Bummer for us, but hard not to see that as an obvious fit for a kid who only has two years of eligibility.

Bobby Maze is a true point guard. We will have one true point guard on our team next year (Cash). From what I've read, Dixon is a combo guard, and Vaughn, Davis, etc. are 2 guards. I don't think playing time would have been a factor in not choosing UC. All he would have to do is beat out one freshman, really.

lt7784 Wrote:Bobby Maze is a true point guard. We will have one true point guard on our team next year (Cash). From what I've read, Dixon is a combo guard, and Vaughn, Davis, etc. are 2 guards. I don't think playing time would have been a factor in not choosing UC. All he would have to do is beat out one freshman, really.

I doubt it was lost on Maze that Wright isn't just any freshman. When you're a juco with only 2 yrs eligibility, having less competition for a slot can make a big difference, especially when the heir apparent at one program has just departed. Maze had an experience edge over Wright, but he's a poor outside shooter, which wouldn't have helped his cause here, in addition to question marks about him. Many of us were very ambivalent about even recruiting Maze.

Vaughn hasn't measured up as a PG yet, but he's a strong ball handler, and he realizes that at only 6' his future as a SG is very limited. Logan's skills improved every year, and I believe Vaughn's will as well, making him an adequate back-up at PG.

Besides Maze's academic question marks, honestly, I just want to see Cash start from day one, grow into the role of PG, and get his training by fire over with. There will be bumps and bruises, and you have to play to learn. He will make mistakes and get better because of it.

I still think his perimeter shooting will be the key next season.

lt7784 Wrote:Bobby Maze is a true point guard. We will have one true point guard on our team next year (Cash). From what I've read, Dixon is a combo guard, and Vaughn, Davis, etc. are 2 guards. I don't think playing time would have been a factor in not choosing UC. All he would have to do is beat out one freshman, really.

I checked the UT roster, they have one PG who is going to be a SR next year who has averaged one minute a game the last three years and attempted a grand total or 10 field goals in three years.

Unless Pearl recruits another PG, there will be no one to compete with Maze, UT has no choice but to hand him the starting PG job.

Maybe Maze made a monster improvement leap in JUCO from his frosh year at OU. His OU stats aren't at all bad for a freshman. (5.6 PPG 2.1 APG), he also hit 45% of his field goals but only 22% of his 3 pointers.

HoopsJunky Wrote:

Quote:Yes. According to Bcat, Mick could've gotten Maze to commit. But Maze visited and Mick decided he didn't want an experienced point guard.

I have some land I want to sell you.

Hoops, like you, I am typically skeptical of “we didn’t need him anyway” posts. But, hearing Maze compare a Ferarri (Tennessee) to a Geo Prizm (Cincinnati) makes me wonder what UC did to piss him off.

I think Mick really wants another transfer if it can all be worked out. Maze looks like very high maintenance to me.

zengardener Wrote:

lt7784 Wrote:Bobby Maze is a true point guard. We will have one true point guard on our team next year (Cash). From what I've read, Dixon is a combo guard, and Vaughn, Davis, etc. are 2 guards. I don't think playing time would have been a factor in not choosing UC. All he would have to do is beat out one freshman, really.

I doubt it was lost on Maze that Wright isn't just any freshman. When you're a juco with only 2 yrs eligibility, having less competition for a slot can make a big difference, especially when the heir apparent at one program has just departed. Maze had an experience edge over Wright, but he's a poor outside shooter, which wouldn't have helped his cause here, in addition to question marks about him. Many of us were very ambivalent about even recruiting Maze.

Vaughn hasn't measured up as a PG yet, but he's a strong ball handler, and he realizes that at only 6' his future as a SG is very limited. Logan's skills improved every year, and I believe Vaughn's will as well, making him an adequate back-up at PG.

No doubt about it, Maze committed to OU just after Scottie Reynolds de-committed and OU was left without a PG.

Is that transfer Bassett?
What happened to Eschaunte Jones.. hasn't he a pg.

Jose_Jalapeno_on_a_Stick Wrote:

HoopsJunky Wrote:

Quote:Yes. According to Bcat, Mick could've gotten Maze to commit. But Maze visited and Mick decided he didn't want an experienced point guard.

I have some land I want to sell you.

Hoops, like you, I am typically skeptical of “we didn’t need him anyway” posts. But, hearing Maze compare a Ferarri (Tennessee) to a Geo Prizm (Cincinnati) makes me wonder what UC did to piss him off.

Did he really make that comparison? I heard about the comparison he made about the Ferrari (UT) and the Land Rover (UK). Saying that is why he didn't visit UK. I had no idea about this comparison. Is this true or not?

Bcat Wrote:

Jose_Jalapeno_on_a_Stick Wrote:

HoopsJunky Wrote:

Quote:Yes. According to Bcat, Mick could've gotten Maze to commit. But Maze visited and Mick decided he didn't want an experienced point guard.

I have some land I want to sell you.

Hoops, like you, I am typically skeptical of “we didn’t need him anyway” posts. But, hearing Maze compare a Ferarri (Tennessee) to a Geo Prizm (Cincinnati) makes me wonder what UC did to piss him off.

Did he really make that comparison? I heard about the comparison he made about the Ferrari (UT) and the Land Rover (UK). Saying that is why he didn't visit UK. I had no idea about this comparison. Is this true or not?

If he did, that's pretty ignorant.

Quote:“Tennessee lost a little bit of scoring but they’ve got some guys coming back and Scotty Hopson’s a McDonald’s All-American,” Maze told Scout.com’s Dave Telep of his decision to sign with the Vols. “To me, it’s the best fit. I had a chance to drive a Geo Prism or a Ferrari. I’m not trying to go to a school and not win; I want a championship. Tennessee has the best opportunity to win because of the players and Coach Pearl.”

http://cincinnati.scout.com/a.z?s=341&p=2&c=753223

He doesn't directly say UC is a Geo Prism, but it sounds like that's what he means.

It will be great to be better than Tennessee b-4 Maze leaves there! e

I think Maze was referring to the fact that we are still rebuilding
and Tennessee is ready to contend.

KCat Wrote:I think Maze was referring to the fact that we are still rebuilding
and Tennessee is ready to contend.

I don't like his Prism comments but it's hard to argue with his reasoning.

Well........if UT wins big, it won't be because of Maze. Never been in awe of this kid and his 22% three point shooting while at Oklahoma, and that comment reinforces that opinion. I understand what he is saying, and I'm sure it is easy to negatively recruit against UC right now with the program rebuilding and UT coming off several years of nice runs in the Tourney.

I would have loved to had Hopson and think that is a huge "get" for UT, but Maze is filler material as they just lost several to graduation and declaring for the NBA, and dismissal.

Maze can dis UC all he wants, and I'm sure it inflated his ego to have some decent programs vying for his services this late.............but I think that's exactly why he was a hot commodity because of the needs that arose due to circumstances, and not because he was "all that".

Stick Cash at PG and let him learn. Cash is our Ferrari and Maze would have been the rental car.

.

HoopsJunky Wrote:.

well said...