(04-12-2011 10:39 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(04-12-2011 10:13 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  Let's hope it's after only one year.

We have absolutely no need for Hooper Vint, assuming Gus, WN, Javes, White, and Marlo are here next year. Where exactly would he have played? It would have created an uncomfortable situation for Steve, with his dad as our color guy on the radio. His going to UTEP is best for everyone involved.

mjs wanted that "6'10" Arkansas boy" until we didn't get him, and now "we have absolutely no need for Hooper Vint." Shields didn't, or couldn't land him(probably the latter, based on his past recruiting practices), and now "we have no need for him." A 6'10" kid from Arkansas who can play, and "we have no need for him." He's worried about Steve being "uncomfortable." No one has seen any of these kids other than Gus play in the Sun Belt, and mjs is wondering "where Vint could have played." Maybe if Vint had come here, one might be guessing where these other guys might play. Shields fails to land another Arkansas kid with Trojan ties, and now it's "we didn't need that guy."

I agree with MJS. Had hooper committed earlier it would have been great but now we having so much length for next year it would have been hard for him to come here.

It really is funny. Had we signed him it would have been talked up as the greatest get since, well, ever. Now that we didn't, we have absolutely no use for the young man.

Ok

I think we would have loved to have him, but there are only so many slots. Hopefully we have the post pretty well covered. If we didn't have, I would be moaning and groaning about his choice big time.

(04-13-2011 11:16 AM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  I think we would have loved to have him, but there are only so many slots. Hopefully we have the post pretty well covered. If we didn't have, I would be moaning and groaning about his choice big time.

Where is the evidence that Vint is a great player? Maybe he is, but I have not seen anything to indicate that. He is not ranked on ESPN and doesn't even have a grade. Javes is the #57 Center in the country and is rated a grade of 85. I'd take Javes in a second. I was told Hooper would have certainly have had to redshirt here as a freshman- maybe he didn't like that idea. It's very possible his dad saw what the pecking order would be here, and it wasn't favorable for Hooper. Very few years I would turn down a 6'10" with some potential. But this year, a shooting guard is a much bigger need.

(04-13-2011 12:01 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(04-13-2011 11:16 AM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  I think we would have loved to have him, but there are only so many slots. Hopefully we have the post pretty well covered. If we didn't have, I would be moaning and groaning about his choice big time.

Where is the evidence that Vint is a great player? Maybe he is, but I have not seen anything to indicate that. He is not ranked on ESPN and doesn't even have a grade. Javes is the #57 Center in the country and is rated a grade of 85. I'd take Javes in a second. I was told Hooper would have certainly have had to redshirt here as a freshman- maybe he didn't like that idea. It's very possible his dad saw what the pecking order would be here, and it wasn't favorable for Hooper. Very few years I would turn down a 6'10" with some potential. But this year, a shooting guard is a much bigger need.

With regard to "wanting the Arkansas boy", I'm not sure what I said about that. I'm pretty sure I was consistent all along in saying he wouldn't come here and I never expected him to. So, no, I wasn't at all disappointed because I always thought he would go to Nebraska. I was wrong on where he went, but right that he would not be here. From what I can tell, yes we would have taken him- but no one at the Stephens Center is losing any sleep about him going elsewhere.

(04-13-2011 12:01 PM)mjs Wrote:  Where is the evidence that Vint is a great player? Maybe he is, but I have not seen anything to indicate that. He is not ranked on ESPN and doesn't even have a grade. Javes is the #57 Center in the country and is rated a grade of 85. I'd take Javes in a second. I was told Hooper would have certainly have had to redshirt here as a freshman- maybe he didn't like that idea. It's very possible his dad saw what the pecking order would be here, and it wasn't favorable for Hooper. Very few years I would turn down a 6'10" with some potential. But this year, a shooting guard is a much bigger need.

I don't have any proof that Vint is a great player, or will be a great players some day, but other than some rankings that in the past haven't always been on target for players we've recruited, I don't have any that these other bigs are any better. I have seen Vint play, and I think he had loads of potential, and I think I'm a fair judge of basketball talent. I've that I've been a pretty good judge of most of the players Shields has recruited in the past, and he hasn't brought in many "great" players in his eight years, but has brought in a bunch of "duds" who couldn't compete in the Sun Belt. He's brought in a lot more "duds" than "great" players.

I wished Hooper had come to UALR. I have spent time in Juarez. I love the city and I love the culture there. It is a bit dangerous to go to right now to say the least. But I see the appeal of going to UTEP. He should get to play there as a freshman. I hope he goes there and has a great, 4 or 5 years.
Go Trojans

His dad is a great addition to our broadcast team, so I wish Hooper only the best at UTEP, and if for some reason he isn't happy there and wants to come back to UALR as did Mike Smith, Brandon Patterson, Solo and a few others, I feel certain all of us would welcome him with open arms.

5 News said his final two were UTEP and UALR.

(04-13-2011 11:19 PM)tweaky1 Wrote:  5 News said his final two were UTEP and UALR.

Coming in second for a basketball recruit is like the horse you're betting on across the board coming in fourth!

One of the main reasons I would have loved to have Vint was that it would give us a player from inside the main Hog market.

And that rarely, if never, happens.

(04-14-2011 02:15 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  And that rarely, if never, happens.

From what I can tell, Nebraska pulled their offer. He did not get offers from, UAF, UCA, and ASU. May turn out to be great, but for a 6'10" kid, whose father has a lot of connections in the business, he was not very highly recruited.

(04-14-2011 04:36 PM)mjs Wrote:  From what I can tell, Nebraska pulled their offer. He did not get offers from, UAF, UCA, and ASU. May turn out to be great, but for a 6'10" kid, whose father has a lot of connections in the business, he was not very highly recruited.

Since Shields didn't sign him, he's now not very good. Had Shields signed him, he'd have been the next saviour.

(04-14-2011 07:35 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  Since Shields didn't sign him, he's now not very good. Had Shields signed him, he'd have been the next saviour.

From all I have heard, he is pretty good, and I wish we had signed him.

You can't coach 6'!!"!

Jim Harris writes that H/V was our No 1 guy.

(04-14-2011 08:52 PM)Scotto Wrote:  Jim Harris writes that H/V was our No 1 guy.

I guess that settles it then. Does Jim Harris even know where the UALR campus is? Has he ever been to one of our games? I'm sure he has all the "inside" dope about what's happening at the Stephens Center. I don't claim to be an "insider", but I do believe I know more about what's going on at UALR than Mr. Harris.