The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(04-09-2018 03:52 PM)Gilesfan Wrote:  

(04-09-2018 03:39 PM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  

(04-09-2018 03:22 PM)Gilesfan Wrote:  

(04-09-2018 02:00 PM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  

(04-09-2018 01:31 PM)Gilesfan Wrote:  I wouldn't say this is true. We've gotten both Stiths, Porter, Haynes, Freeman, etc. in and have lost Talley, Porter, Mosely...? Im trying to think of any others of signficance that we have lost that come close to the ones that have been brought in.

Point taken. The players bought in (sans Freeman and maybe Porter) aren't world-beaters by any stretch of the imagination, it's just our freshman recruiting has been so awful that anyone replacing them might look good.

The main point is that JJ can't recruit and keep players consistent enough to get us back to the NCAAs. Heading into JJ's 6th season, we may actually get a 4 year player in Caver (God forbid he leaves).

MTSU has had a few players transfer out over the years. Can anyone name them without Google? See the difference? Players like Upshaw and Potts stayed, plus they got superior talent transferring in, not out.

So it's not just the "dealing with transfers", which everyone does. JJ has a record at ODU of recruiting failures (both transfers as well as freshmen). So far, Caver is the only freshman recruit that has proven to be a hit.

Now many leave for different reasons, but having the number come in and out that we have without having a 4 year player is beyond ridiculous. Just off the top of my head, during JJ's tenure.

Ambrose Mosely (BT Recruit - Dismissed, get an NCAA bid with UNCW as a starter.)
Keenan Palmore (BT Recruit - Transfer Out)
Austin Colbert (4* Transfer in, Transfer Out to Hampton. Never played.)
Javonte Douglas (Transfer In, Dismissed)
Zoran Talley (JJ's First Freshman Recruit, Dismissed, goes to Big 10)
Peyten Pervier (Transfer In, Dismissed)
Travis Fields (Transfer Out, gets and NCAA Bid with Radford)
Trey Porter (Transfer In, Transfer Out, likely to Big 10)
Michael Hueitt, Jr. (Transfer Out)

There are probably more, but you can see the problem (Did Kah graduate, or just disappear? Who knows?). Every team loses players for lack of playing time, etc. But there are a lot of dismissals, so either JJ is too strict (as some have suggested, though I'm not buying it), or JJ and staff are poor judges of character. I don't know the deal with Michael Hueitt (some has suggested lack of work ethic), but I have a hard time fathoming how there is no place on JJ's squad for a 47% 3 point shooter (especially since we are averaging around 50 ppg in our CUSA Tournament losses.

There are a lot of misses in JJ's recruiting, and very few hits so far, and those misses are magnified every time we lose a Porter or a Hueitt (something MTSU doesn't seem to do).

That needs to change.

Edit: Batten. Another one.

Again, I have no problem with the recruiting criticism. I think it started out bad and has gotten much better in the last 3 years. There is only 1 possible guy that could have played 4 years as a freshman and graduated, that doesn't seem like a great point to harp on.

Jones clearly went to the transfer/JUCO well from the start to try to win in a quick timeframe (which worked, but not to the level of an NCAA tourney team, but close). Some of them worked out (Freeman, Arledge, Haynes, Porter, Stith(2)), some did not (Pervier, Kah, Douglas, Colbert). Batten graduated and left; (and Palmore left) not unexpected given a change in coaches. Mosely/Talley were dismissed (only Talley was JJs recruit). Fields was a walk on that left, no real issue there.

The fact of the matter is there is going to be significant turnover nowadays. It is almost impossible to avoid it under the current rules. There aren't any teams that can survive the way Blaine developed players over a number of years. Look at schools like Robert Morris that bring on nowbodies, turn them into starts, and watch them transfer as soon as the player can. There are probably some teams that can consistently keep players, but I don't think that number is very high. The turnover is certainly not ideal, but Jones is going to be judged on how he reacts to the current atmosphere in college baskets. If he can replace Porter, the team will be really good; if he doesn't, then he may be on the hotseat. Him and the staff certainly understand the issues.

He really needs to replace both Porter and Stith up front. Aaron Carver is a nice kid and all, but if he's starting, we're sunk.

Ideally, they would replace both. I do think BJ could give a lot of minutes at the "4" next year if need be.

And this is why no one should take you seriously as a knowledgeable fan.

If BJ gets a lot of minutes as a 4, we will struggle to get to 20 wins even against another pathetic schedule.