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(01-28-2021 08:47 AM)bluelight Wrote:  

(01-27-2021 10:16 AM)monarx Wrote:  

(01-27-2021 10:10 AM)BigBlueMonarch Wrote:  

(01-26-2021 08:33 PM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  

(01-26-2021 04:36 AM)BigBlueMonarch Wrote:  For the same reason 99% of any athletes at any competitive level either don't play, or don't compete well (if it is an individual sport, i.e. tennis, golf) in their first year or several years. That goes for the transition from HS to college and from college to the pros. Everyone is gushing about Josh Allen, well it has taken three years for him to get to this level. We expect more of a junior or senior on a team becasue they have been in the system and have been working on their game for 2 or 3 years. Expecting a Freshman to come in as a complete player at our level is a farce or a once at best or twice in a hundred thing. Yes I know, Blaine did it or whom ever, but that was almost a decade ago, the game and times change. Heck, Blaine red-shirted a ton of kids just so they could spend a year learning and improving and not get beat up in games. JJ's only job is to put the 5-8 guys on the floor each night that he feels gives us the best chance to win. Unless we are all hanging out at practice daily, we have no idea what most of these kids are capable of except from his/her high school highlight reel, which might I remind, is edited to only show the good things. So unless we are going to suddenly start signing 4 and 5 star players with regularity, I am pretty sure this is what we are stuck with.

What about the game has so drastically changed over the past 10-15 years, and assuming you have an answer to that, why has that change impacted the kids so differently that they could compete as Freshmen then but not now?

Also, if the game has changed then wouldn't it stand to reason that the high school kids have changed similarly along with said change(es)? I mean, it's not like the high school kids are doing 2 hand set shots while the college kids are doing jump shots.

Poor choice of words, the recruitment game has changed. More one and done, more kids who will only consider offers from major programs, even if that offer means wasting a year or two of eligibility sitting on the bench before they realize they were better off accepting their offer from ODU who really wanted them. Unless we are breaking the rules or willing to take on a non qualifier in the hopes that they become eligible, I feel the days of schools like ODU getting major commits that will be powerful impact players are gone. I mean in reality, isn't that what sent BT over the edge, he was kiliing himself trying to find a whole squad of Kent Bazemores, kids who flew under the radar becasue of where they played or where they were from or when they picked up the game. Unless we are getting an offer to ACC the days of us signing complete players out of HS are gone. My opinion

And yet WKU, VCU and others seem to be able to find Freshmen who can contribute.

Yes times have changed in recruiting, that is why we need a young coach with new ideas and know how to convince high school players to come to ODU!