(12-23-2019 09:37 AM)natibeast21 Wrote: (12-23-2019 08:04 AM)nachoman91 Wrote: (12-22-2019 12:47 PM)C1ncy4Life Wrote: Brannen continues to show his recruiting chops. Second straight class where he has landed a legit 4 Star prospect. I know we are going through some growing pains currently, but we may be better for it in the long run if he can continue to land top recruits that fit his system.
Over the course of Cronin's tenure at UC he averaged one 4-star player per class and he landed a couple of 5-star players as well. I don't see Brannen's recruiting thus far as anything different than what we had for the past dozen years.
Hmmm Cronin 15ish classes (many in the greatest bball conference of all time) to Brannen's 2 classes ranked in order:
1) Lance Stephenson-Cronin, you could argue he wasn't worth the 1 year if you wanted to (Big East)
2) Jermaine Lawrence-Cronin, Dud, lasted 1 year (Recruited while we were in Big East)
3) Yancy Gates-Cronin (Big East)
4) Zach Harvey-Brannen
5) Jarron Cumberland-Cronin
6) Anthony McClain-Cronin, Dud (Big East)
7) Cashmere Wright-Cronin (Big East)
8) Darnell Wilks-Cronin, Dudish (Big East)
9) Gary Clark-Cronin
10) Tari Eason-Brannen
11) Jermaine Sanders- Cronin, Dudish (Big East)
Lets break it down to top 5 guys for Cronin's classes in the American without the first year and Louisville (Jermaine Lawrence) and 2 classes of Brannen:
1) Zach Harvey-Brannen
2) Jarron Cumberland-Cronin
3) Gary Clark- Cronin
4) Tari Eason-Brannen
5) Keith Williams-Cronin
Within 1 month of landing the job he landed the highest recruit we've had in since joining the American conference.
And considering MAW looks to be our best point guard since Cashmere Wright, I am very optimistic on his recruiting abilities. Saunders looks like a great grab as well. I am not sold on the Madsen brothers, but we will see.
Comparing classes seems to be an annual thing after what we've seen Brannen do with his first few.. Another way to look at it is who were the premier guys in each class or how many top roughly 200 guys were in each class. Cronin seemed to favor one sometimes two quick impact guys in each class and then did a lot with projects, sometimes found gems, sometimes didn't. His best years on paper were 2014-2016. Undoubtedly, 2017 and 2018 were problems. At the very least, Brannen's first two classes gets us back to the '14-'16 range and its good to know we were very close on top talent this year.
2020: Tari Eason (#122), Gabe Madsen (#187), Mike Saunders (#190)
2019: Zach Harvey (#49), Mikka Adams-Woods (#244)
2018: Logan Johnson (#192)
2017: Keith Williams (#128), Mamoudou Diarra (#198)
2016: Jarron Cumberland (#56)
2015: Jacob Evans (#130), Justin Jenifer (#153)
2014: Gary Clark (#90), Quadri Moore (#125) lol
2013: Jermaine Lawrence (#24) lol, Kevin Johnson (#138), Troy Caupian (#212)
2012: Titus Rubles (#7 JUCO)
2011: Shaq Thomas (#83), Jermaine Sanders (#115), Octavius Ellis (#211)
2010: Justin Jackson (#157)
2009: Lance Stephenson (#9), JaQuon Parker (#174)