Signing day comes and goes...no guards

[Biggus Piggus]

Still fishing for reaches.

This is pitiful.

If Heath comes up with no more guard help than McCurdy after what we saw last season, should be a firing offense.

[Jim Harris]

Still fishing for reaches.

This is pitiful.

If Heath comes up with no more guard help than McCurdy after what we saw last season, should be a firing offense.

maybe it will be. Nobody wants to play for him now. The Great Recruiter. Funny, but one of those gurus out there who writes for a paper and a website says under his breath that Heath is the "worst recruiter in the history of Arkansas athletics." (Obviously it's not DD). In terms of building with a balance in the roster and not wasting on reaches and impossible-to-get-eligible signees, he could be right. If not for one great in-state player produced in the past three years, where would Heath be right now? Certainly not the head coach at Arkansas anymore. It would have been a very, very ugly three years, worse than anything Duddy Waller or Lanny Van Eman ever rolled out there.

[tophawg19]

No pg ,no asst. coach ,no NCAA tourny again . What does it take a baylor incident ?
tougher schedule ,same players .this conversation will be going on again 1/2 way through
next season .

[Pragmatic PiG]

No pg ,no asst. coach ,no NCAA tourny again . What does it take a baylor incident ?
tougher schedule ,same players .this conversation will be going on again 1/2 way through
next season .

I agree but maybe the discussion starts even earlier if the hogs don't get off to a somewhat decent start against a tougher OOC schedule. If SH's guys just win the easy one's during OOC time, the pressure to win in the SEC will be unbearable as will the media and fans for SH to deal with. Be like a runaway locomotive......

We will be bitching about who the next coach should be by Feb next season 

[bknight33]

Maybe we just did not want to settle for another couple run of the mill players....he needs difference makers.......just save it and hope for the best.

[tophawg19]

for the teams best intrest save the scholarship or maybe get rush .Stan heath can't afford not to take a gamble on not getting another p g this year it would likely cost him his job .he is probably going to look at short term fix rather than long term .

[Pragmatic PiG]

Maybe we just did not want to settle for another couple run of the mill players....he needs difference makers.......just save it and hope for the best.

"hoping for the best" is a rough way to go into your most crucial season if you are SH. Was  the motto for the first 2 seasons of SH basketball at Ark.

I agree though about not signing anymore Dontell type players, but desperate times garner desperate actions. At the very least he should be kicking himself for his mis-evaluations, in the end it may contribute greatly to his demise

[CarolinaHog1176]

Funny, but one of those gurus out there who writes for a paper and a website says under his breath that Heath is the "worst recruiter in the history of Arkansas athletics." (Obviously it's not DD). In terms of building with a balance in the roster and not wasting on reaches and impossible-to-get-eligible signees, he could be right. If not for one great in-state player produced in the past three years, where would Heath be right now?

I'm a very logical thinker and although I wasn't a business major in my college days I can still understand the statement of "making a business decision."  2 years ago we've got Billy Pharis (super ** SR), Vincent Hunter (super weak 6'10" 185 FR), Michael Jones (SG playing PF & Post), and Rashard Sullivan (6'8" Post with no O) playing our 4 and 5 spot.  now, if you're a HC wouldn't you want to sign at least 3 legit 4's or 5's to help balance out your team and put those previous players back in their natural postitions?

it was a business decision to cut Kendrick Davis and Wen Mukubu... the same as it's going to be if Rashard Sullivan gets the axe.  I'd hate to see a guy get cut before his senior year after giving up 3 years of all he had, but that's the business side of college athletics.  if he's not going to provide senior leadership by sticking up for Heath, especially during the tough times during next season, then he's not good enough to keep around.

the point I'm making is that Heath doesn't have all of the pieces in place that he wants.  he's tried to get the ones that he thought could help us, but either they've declined or weren't eligible.  it's not for not being a good recruiter though, that's for sure.  he came in and immediately started shaping our program and getting it ready for the kind of players that he'd need to make us successful.

I've said this before and I'll say it again in case y'all missed it the first time:  after finishing up the nolan-era with a 14-14 record in 2002 (not to mention all of the negative publicity that he brought on the university) and then going 9-19 and 12-16 in Heath's first 2 years, what kind of recruiting success should you expect?  if you're a realist, there's no way you could expect more than what he's already done.... to be honest, I thought that it would take him longer to get us back on our feet, but I'm happily wrong.

he might have a thing or two to still learn about coaching, but there's no way you can doubt his recruiting ability.  he's brought in top guys in a time when our program was on the slip.  I'm appreciative that he's our coach, but that doesn't mean that I think he'll be able to get us to the next level.  he might in time, but like I said, he's still figuring out do's and don'ts, IMO

[tophawg19]

which recruits are speaking of brewer is a ARK. kid .modica was nolans recruit .D ,TOWNES was a good signee but the rest are all projects .

[HogInMemphis]

Funny, but one of those gurus out there who writes for a paper and a website says under his breath that Heath is the "worst recruiter in the history of Arkansas athletics." (Obviously it's not DD). In terms of building with a balance in the roster and not wasting on reaches and impossible-to-get-eligible signees, he could be right. If not for one great in-state player produced in the past three years, where would Heath be right now?

I'm a very logical thinker and although I wasn't a business major in my college days I can still understand the statement of "making a business decision."  2 years ago we've got Billy Pharis (super ** SR), Vincent Hunter (super weak 6'10" 185 FR), Michael Jones (SG playing PF & Post), and Rashard Sullivan (6'8" Post with no O) playing our 4 and 5 spot.  now, if you're a HC wouldn't you want to sign at least 3 legit 4's or 5's to help balance out your team and put those previous players back in their natural postitions?

it was a business decision to cut Kendrick Davis and Wen Mukubu... the same as it's going to be if Rashard Sullivan gets the axe.  I'd hate to see a guy get cut before his senior year after giving up 3 years of all he had, but that's the business side of college athletics.  if he's not going to provide senior leadership by sticking up for Heath, especially during the tough times during next season, then he's not good enough to keep around.

the point I'm making is that Heath doesn't have all of the pieces in place that he wants.  he's tried to get the ones that he thought could help us, but either they've declined or weren't eligible.  it's not for not being a good recruiter though, that's for sure.  he came in and immediately started shaping our program and getting it ready for the kind of players that he'd need to make us successful.

I've said this before and I'll say it again in case y'all missed it the first time:  after finishing up the nolan-era with a 14-14 record in 2002 (not to mention all of the negative publicity that he brought on the university) and then going 9-19 and 12-16 in Heath's first 2 years, what kind of recruiting success should you expect?  if you're a realist, there's no way you could expect more than what he's already done.... to be honest I thought that it would take him longer to get us back on our feet, but I'm happily wrong.

he might have a thing or two to still learn about coaching, but there's no way you can doubt his recruiting ability.  he's brought in top guys in a time when our program was on the slip.  I'm appreciative that he's our coach, but that doesn't mean that I think he'll be able to get us to the next level.  he might in time, but like I said, he's still figuring out do's and don'ts, IMO

thanks so much for  being honest.

[Biggus Piggus]

1. now, if you're a HC wouldn't you want to sign at least 3 legit 4's or 5's to help balance out your team and put those previous players back in their natural postitions?

You are spinning.  Heath tried to sign some pure blue-chip guards, failed, and didn't bother to get enough, considered himself above some players who would have helped.  Heath did not acknowledge the seriousness of the problem, the problem of not having guards period.  This was, in the words of a real ex-coach who discussed the situation, inexplicable.

2. the point I'm making is that Heath doesn't have all of the pieces in place that he wants. he's tried to get the ones that he thought could help us, but either they've declined or weren't eligible. it's not for not being a good recruiter though, that's for sure. he came in and immediately started shaping our program and getting it ready for the kind of players that he'd need to make us successful.

Bull freekin Shiite.  Guards count too!  He failed to get guards, the easiest players to get!  Big men, those are hard to come by.  Skilled forwards, scarce.  Guards, plentiful, but not if you ignore the problem till it's too late.

3. I've said this before and I'll say it again in case y'all missed it the first time: after finishing up the nolan-era with a 14-14 record in 2002 (not to mention all of the negative publicity that he brought on the university) and then going 9-19 and 12-16 in Heath's first 2 years, what kind of recruiting success should you expect?

Heath got Brewer and Famutimi in his first full recruiting season.  Then he got the big haul of big guys in year two.  (Neglected guards both times, that's why he's in such a fix.)  Did it take three years for the "Nolan Armageddon" to have a negative effect on recruiting?  Or are you going to suggest that the Nolan effect only hurt us with guards?  I expect Heath to do at least as well as coaches in worse situations have done.  Dave Leitao vastly outperformed Heath, so did Billy Gillespie, so did Jim Beilein.  Heath had a 20,000-seat arena in the SEC at a school that has won a national title.  I expect him to recruit great.

4. he might have a thing or two to still learn about coaching, but there's no way you can doubt his recruiting ability. he's brought in top guys in a time when our program was on the slip.

How can you completely disregard the guard positions when it comes to recruiting?  The program is a disaster, not because of the average talent level but because the head coach neglected needs.

[sage_dragoon]

If a kid can jump to the NBA and leave a college team holding the bag, then the college team has the right to cut a player who doesnt fit or doesnt cut it.

Modica was coming to UA regardless of the coach...Brewer probably wouldnt be here if Nolan was still here(its a shame you dont go see a kid play who is 5-10 min drive from campus), there was a good chance ronnie was going to OU or OSU...Townes was pleasean surprise, I think we expected Hill to perform the way Townes did and vice versa, so i dont think that was off base ...yeah Dontell was a whiff and I thought Thomas would be a more consistant scorer after having monster scoring games in HS.

[CarolinaHog1176]

thanks so much for being honest.

great waste of space, there moderator.... how about join in the conversation instead of showing your ass

[Biggus Piggus]

I wouldn't blame that NIT thing on Heath.  He responded to a higher calling.

I do not harp on Dontell Jefferson.  He was a reach.  We had to have a reach, that's how desperate we were for help.  Heath had whiffed on his top 10 candidates before within a week's span he'd sought out an unknown juco guard from Atlanta and had him on the hook.  Only thing about that deal that irritated me was how from the beginning the local print media grossly overstated D.Jefferson's talent level (while also selling the bill of goods on Al Jefferson supposedly even considering going to college).  Some of these fools still believe Heath's a great recruiter based on those past impressions, built on two recruiting classes with ratings inflated by players who were either never going to show up or were vastly overrated.

[bomattingly]

Still fishing for reaches.

This is pitiful.

If Heath comes up with no more guard help than McCurdy after what we saw last season, should be a firing offense.

Easy Killer!  That doesn't mean they won't sign anybody.  Yesterday was just the first day of the late signing period.  They've got several weeks before the signing period ends.

[bomattingly]

The basketball signing period doesn't end until May 18th.

[HogInMemphis]

thanks so much for being honest.

great waste of space, there moderator.... how about join in the conversation instead of showing your ass

My ass controls you.

[Biggus Piggus]

Still fishing for reaches.

This is pitiful.

If Heath comes up with no more guard help than McCurdy after what we saw last season, should be a firing offense.

Easy Killer! That doesn't mean they won't sign anybody. Yesterday was just the first day of the late signing period. They've got several weeks before the signing period ends.

Drr, did you notice the "fishing for reaches" part?  I know they're still fishing.  Not having anyone lined up on the first day of the signing period...clear signal.  Clear as a bell.  It's what happens when you don't recognize your own needs till February.

[CarolinaHog1176]

1. now, if you're a HC wouldn't you want to sign at least 3 legit 4's or 5's to help balance out your team and put those previous players back in their natural postitions?

You are spinning. Heath tried to sign some pure blue-chip guards, failed, and didn't bother to get enough, considered himself above some players who would have helped. Heath did not acknowledge the seriousness of the problem, the problem of not having guards period. This was, in the words of a real ex-coach who discussed the situation, inexplicable.

2. the point I'm making is that Heath doesn't have all of the pieces in place that he wants. he's tried to get the ones that he thought could help us, but either they've declined or weren't eligible. it's not for not being a good recruiter though, that's for sure. he came in and immediately started shaping our program and getting it ready for the kind of players that he'd need to make us successful.

Bull freekin Shiite. Guards count too! He failed to get guards, the easiest players to get! Big men, those are hard to come by. Skilled forwards, scarce. Guards, plentiful, but not if you ignore the problem till it's too late.

3. I've said this before and I'll say it again in case y'all missed it the first time: after finishing up the nolan-era with a 14-14 record in 2002 (not to mention all of the negative publicity that he brought on the university) and then going 9-19 and 12-16 in Heath's first 2 years, what kind of recruiting success should you expect?

Heath got Brewer and Famutimi in his first full recruiting season. Then he got the big haul of big guys in year two. (Neglected guards both times, that's why he's in such a fix.) Did it take three years for the "Nolan Armageddon" to have a negative effect on recruiting? Or are you going to suggest that the Nolan effect only hurt us with guards? I expect Heath to do at least as well as coaches in worse situations have done. Dave Leitao vastly outperformed Heath, so did Billy Gillespie, so did Jim Beilein. Heath had a 20,000-seat arena in the SEC at a school that has won a national title. I expect him to recruit great.

4. he might have a thing or two to still learn about coaching, but there's no way you can doubt his recruiting ability. he's brought in top guys in a time when our program was on the slip.

How can you completely disregard the guard positions when it comes to recruiting? The program is a disaster, not because of the average talent level but because the head coach neglected needs.

ok, since we've neglected our guard positions (I'm guessing you're refering mostly the PG spot), then tell me what would round off our team?  I'm pretty sure that you'd agree that you need a solid 10 player rotation.  here was our rotation (for the most part) this year:

1st Team                   SUBS
E. Ferguson                D. Jefferson
R. Brewer                   J. Modica
O. Famutimi                sub by committee (M. Monk, M. Jones, etc.)
C. Thomas                  R. Sullivan
D. Townes                 S. Hill

now, looking at that, I would see two things right off the bat:  PG and SF.  if we could've landed Lowry (VIL), Horton (MO), or Lofton (TN) in 2004, then Ferguson very possibly could've come off the bench this year.  but either way, our PG spot would be in much better shape than it was.  secondly, we didn't really have a legit 2nd sub for our wing players.  maybe Heath was relying heavily on Monk to step in and take that spot in the rotation.. who knows.  if that's the case, there's a lesson to be learned right there for sure.

I agree with you for the most part, biggus.... for the recruiting class of 2004, we had a spot open at PG and a spot open at SF and didn't really do much to fill those needs.  but that supports my intial post in the fact that Heath still has some things to learn about running a basketball program, but I still believe that there's plenty of positives to pull from his first 3 years.

maybe he's not cut out for the job, who knows.  being all the way over here in NC, I'm relying heavily on articles and word-of-mouth, but I still believe that he's done a good job of recruiting.  I'm not sure what you do for a living biggus, but it appears that you're somehow connected with the sports beat at the UofA and your posts always have valuable information, so keep it coming

[tophawg19]

what worries me more is the failure to develope players once they are here .
both hill & thomas got worse as the year progressed . hill stopped looking to shoot which
took him out of the offense and put more pressure on the outside. thomas never did figure
out what his position was .ferguson could develope into a decent P G but he's doing it more by himself .

[Extra Point]

Why is everyone jumping on Heath for not signing a kid on day one of a thirty day signing period?  What's the rush, these kids are not perishable.  I would be miserable being around some of you every day if you treat everyone like you treat Heath.  LET THE GUY FINISH THE SIGNING PERIOD AND HIRE AN ASST, then gripe and moan if you wish.

[tophawg19]

he has had time to recruit the players .if he is still evaluating then we are in bigger trouble
than we thought .as for the assistant how long can it take .it's like a business look to find the best hire them & move on .this whole mess is looking worse daily .if he hasn't got it now he never will .
the longer he waits the fewer players will be available .

[Extra Point]

he has had time to recruit the players .if he is still evaluating then we are in bigger trouble
than we thought .as for the assistant how long can it take .it's like a business look to find the best hire them & move on .this whole mess is looking worse daily .if he hasn't got it now he never will .
the longer he waits the fewer players will be available .

What if the kids he has been recruiting are still trying to decide?  Maybe a toothless barefoot guy holding a shotgun would help him get off his azz.

[tophawg19]

somebody needs to build a fire under heath . if he's gone this long and still hasn't sold the kid on the program with quick playing time he ain't much of a salesman .there are to many good coach/recruiters out there who may have developed a need at P.G .

[Gman]

I don't think Stan had any intentions on signing another kid in the spring.  Thats why we don't have any good propects.  It takes time to convince a kid to come to school here, especially when other schools have been on these kids for a while.  So yeah he may have had time to recruit, but it has more than likely been spent on players for next year.

[tophawg19]

if he's waiting on next year some good coach is going to appreciate that .all he has to do is tell the kid there is instant playing time available.that's what most are looking for now anyway.

[Call Mr. Sow]

I've said this before and I'll say it again in case y'all missed it the first time: after finishing up the nolan-era with a 14-14 record in 2002 (not to mention all of the negative publicity that he brought on the university) and then going 9-19 and 12-16 in Heath's first 2 years, what kind of recruiting success should you expect?

Translation:  Give Heath a break.  You try and recruit when you are constantly losing games. 

Heath's ineptitude in coaching cannot be used as an excuse for his ineptitude in recruiting players at need positions. 

It's true, Heath has brought in a couple of quality players, particularly before recruits knew he couldn't coach.  But his failure to address the areas of weakness on his team, both in recruiting and coaching, has made those recruiting wins meaningless.  Who cares if you get an all-world Power Forward if there's nobody to get the ball to him.   

[tophawg19]

there's talent there but no one to develope it . MODICA ,HILL & THOMAS all went backward
as the year went on .some of that was better comp. some just poor coaching .
next year it will be the soph. jinx. after that who knows .

[SonOfMud]

ok, since we've neglected our guard positions (I'm guessing you're refering mostly the PG spot), then tell me what would round off our team?

Also need a zone buster, a shooting guard, someone in the mold of a Pat Bradley, Scotty Thurman, or Alex Dillaard, someone that can shoot the three ball.

[JD Hogg]

Funny, but one of those gurus out there who writes for a paper and a website says under his breath that Heath is the "worst recruiter in the history of Arkansas athletics." (Obviously it's not DD). In terms of building with a balance in the roster and not wasting on reaches and impossible-to-get-eligible signees, he could be right. If not for one great in-state player produced in the past three years, where would Heath be right now?

I'm a very logical thinker and although I wasn't a business major in my college days I can still understand the statement of "making a business decision." 2 years ago we've got Billy Pharis (super ** SR), Vincent Hunter (super weak 6'10" 185 FR), Michael Jones (SG playing PF & Post), and Rashard Sullivan (6'8" Post with no O) playing our 4 and 5 spot. now, if you're a HC wouldn't you want to sign at least 3 legit 4's or 5's to help balance out your team and put those previous players back in their natural postitions?

it was a business decision to cut Kendrick Davis and Wen Mukubu... the same as it's going to be if Rashard Sullivan gets the axe. I'd hate to see a guy get cut before his senior year after giving up 3 years of all he had, but that's the business side of college athletics. if he's not going to provide senior leadership by sticking up for Heath, especially during the tough times during next season, then he's not good enough to keep around.

the point I'm making is that Heath doesn't have all of the pieces in place that he wants. he's tried to get the ones that he thought could help us, but either they've declined or weren't eligible. it's not for not being a good recruiter though, that's for sure. he came in and immediately started shaping our program and getting it ready for the kind of players that he'd need to make us successful.

I've said this before and I'll say it again in case y'all missed it the first time: after finishing up the nolan-era with a 14-14 record in 2002 (not to mention all of the negative publicity that he brought on the university) and then going 9-19 and 12-16 in Heath's first 2 years, what kind of recruiting success should you expect? if you're a realist, there's no way you could expect more than what he's already done.... to be honest, I thought that it would take him longer to get us back on our feet, but I'm happily wrong.

he might have a thing or two to still learn about coaching, but there's no way you can doubt his recruiting ability. he's brought in top guys in a time when our program was on the slip. I'm appreciative that he's our coach, but that doesn't mean that I think he'll be able to get us to the next level. he might in time, but like I said, he's still figuring out do's and don'ts, IMO

Good job, Carolina Hog.  I agree with you. 
JD

[Jim Harris]

4. he might have a thing or two to still learn about coaching, but there's no way you can doubt his recruiting ability. he's brought in top guys in a time when our program was on the slip.

How can you completely disregard the guard positions when it comes to recruiting? The program is a disaster, not because of the average talent level but because the head coach neglected needs.

And, he just seemed to keep recruiting mostly for two spots, the three and the four. I find it easy has hell to doubt his recruiting ability. Then, it's made painfully obvious this spring, when we have NOTHING to sign with glaring need. When did it first dawn on Heath that we needed better shooting? Another point guard, especially since his one recruited hope didn't play his senior year in high school. February? geez.

[Jim Harris]

I don't think Stan had any intentions on signing another kid in the spring. Thats why we don't have any good propects. It takes time to convince a kid to come to school here, especially when other schools have been on these kids for a while. So yeah he may have had time to recruit, but it has more than likely been spent on players for next year.

They got on and signed Sean McCurdy almost overnight in relation to how long they spent on the other guards such as Clemente last summer and fall.

[Biggus Piggus]

ok, since we've neglected our guard positions (I'm guessing you're refering mostly the PG spot), then tell me what would round off our team?

No, I am referring to both guard positions.  Ronnie Brewer is a three.  Jonathon Modica's best position is the three.  Olu Famutimi is similar to Modica in that his limitations should relegate him to a swingman role.  Famutimi mostly played the two this season with his primary backup through the first half of the season being Eric Ferguson.  Modica was third in line at the two and also third in line at the three (behind Brewer and Famutimi) until performance forced Heath's hand.  Heath might prefer Brewer at the two, who knows, but Brewer was our best rebounder, so he needed to be around the basket.

Funky thing here is Famutimi and Modica would fit into a system like Mississippi State's where they play a guard/forward athletic type at the three, somebody who is guard-sized but has more of a run, rebound and defend role, less polish required.  That position has been highly productive for them.  Brewer fits into a classic small forward role.  Why you recruit both types of athletes is ? unless your plan is to teach Famutimi and Modica a whole lot of fundamentals.

The problems with Brewer, Famutimi and Modica at the two are slightly different.

* Brewer is awful, offensively, off the dribble.  His outside shot is mechanically ugly and not reliable with the game on the line.  He is prone to getting stripped.  He has difficulty matching up with twos in man defense.  Twos can defend him well when he's outside the paint.  Brewer has a tough time at the line, so if he's playing the two late you lose a position where you usually have a dependable FT shooter.  Ronnie is great in pressure traps, great running the floor, great catching the pass in the lane and scoring.  He does these best from the three.
* Famutimi is timid, offensively, off the dribble.  Who knows whether that's mental or what, but he adds nothing off the drive.  His outside shot is a little slow getting off but accurate enough.  His level of involvement in rebounding, in defense, in passing, in the game overall = strangely passive.  Not a bad defender, but he's going to get outscored by opposing twos.  Famutimi doesn't cough up the basketball much, but he doesn't create for himself or others either.  If you have to play him, he's a swingman.
* Modica is plenty of scorer for a two, but he is terribly vulnerable to getting stripped, and his passing is unexceptional.  His presence on the floor restricts the coach's alternatives on defense.  I don't understand what keeps Modica from being a great defender.  Maybe he needed a fire-breathing coach to hammer it into him.  Modica does not lack the physical ability.  Instead, his coach still has to hide Modica on D, and you can't do that very well at the two.

maybe Heath was relying heavily on Monk to step in and take that spot in the rotation.. who knows. if that's the case, there's a lesson to be learned right there for sure.

The lesson to learn is that Heath resented Monk being a scholarship football player walking on with the basketball team.  Heath didn't like the Jones situation and definitely did not want this arrangement to be habit-forming, for whatever stupid reason he had in his head.  Monk would still be playing basketball were a different coach in place.  Trust me on that one.  Heath was NOT relying on Monk at all.

I agree with you for the most part, biggus.... for the recruiting class of 2004, we had a spot open at PG and a spot open at SF and didn't really do much to fill those needs. but that supports my intial post in the fact that Heath still has some things to learn about running a basketball program, but I still believe that there's plenty of positives to pull from his first 3 years.

You and I both want the basketball program to be competitive on a national level.  I'm not trying to beat you into agreeing with me on how close we are to getting there.  I take your comments as healthy gymnastics for development of my own picture of what's going on.  I can't pull positives from Heath's first three years, because all three seasons ended with a bunch of disheartened, disenchanted players; and Heath has had to make repeated staff changes trying to get close to competitive with the SEC; and Heath has failed to grasp the significance of guards in this league, maybe waiting till it's too late to change his fate.  I don't see how the team gets any better in 2005-06 without a lot of help from new guards.

[Biggus Piggus]

I don't think Stan had any intentions on signing another kid in the spring. Thats why we don't have any good propects. It takes time to convince a kid to come to school here, especially when other schools have been on these kids for a while. So yeah he may have had time to recruit, but it has more than likely been spent on players for next year.

They got on and signed Sean McCurdy almost overnight in relation to how long they spent on the other guards such as Clemente last summer and fall.

You are right about that, the McCurdy situation was an eerie parallel to the Dontell Jefferson recruitment the previous year.  Both years Heath went after a lot of highly sought-after guards in the summer and whiffed on all of them.  Why?  He was trying to recruit in a region still unfamiliar to him.  He got on these players in the spring, whereas other schools were on them a year or more earlier.  He had nobody on his staff who came in with fresh contacts with players in the region, nobody on staff who was very experienced at recruiting in the SEC region or the Big 12 region.  He would have had a better chance trying to recruit in the Midwest, where he had contacts and his staff did too.  Thompson, I don't know what he brought in as far as contacts besides Townes, whom he'd recruited and signed at Georgetown.  Maybe he's why the guard we signed came from New Jersey.  If so, good for him.

Heath the past few years has spent a lot of time making contact with forwards and centers starting in their sophomore years, but attention to guards has not been anywhere close to the same.

[tophawg19]

damn B.P you said it all that time those 2 posts said everything most of us have been trying to say all along .you just said it better .can you fax that to heath so he can understand the problem.
B.P  HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE AS A CONSULTANT HEATH NEEDS ONE .

[Gman]

I don't think Stan had any intentions on signing another kid in the spring. Thats why we don't have any good propects. It takes time to convince a kid to come to school here, especially when other schools have been on these kids for a while. So yeah he may have had time to recruit, but it has more than likely been spent on players for next year.

They got on and signed Sean McCurdy almost overnight in relation to how long they spent on the other guards such as Clemente last summer and fall.

That was just because other schools he was interested in withdrew their scholarship offers.

[Biggus Piggus]

I don't think Stan had any intentions on signing another kid in the spring. Thats why we don't have any good propects. It takes time to convince a kid to come to school here, especially when other schools have been on these kids for a while. So yeah he may have had time to recruit, but it has more than likely been spent on players for next year.

They got on and signed Sean McCurdy almost overnight in relation to how long they spent on the other guards such as Clemente last summer and fall.

That was just because other schools he was interested in withdrew their scholarship offers.

What are you talking about?  It's as though you answered a different question.

[Jim Harris]

I don't think Stan had any intentions on signing another kid in the spring. Thats why we don't have any good propects. It takes time to convince a kid to come to school here, especially when other schools have been on these kids for a while. So yeah he may have had time to recruit, but it has more than likely been spent on players for next year.

They got on and signed Sean McCurdy almost overnight in relation to how long they spent on the other guards such as Clemente last summer and fall.

You are right about that, the McCurdy situation was an eerie parallel to the Dontell Jefferson recruitment the previous year. Both years Heath went after a lot of highly sought-after guards in the summer and whiffed on all of them. Why? He was trying to recruit in a region still unfamiliar to him. He got on these players in the spring, whereas other schools were on them a year or more earlier. He had nobody on his staff who came in with fresh contacts with players in the region, nobody on staff who was very experienced at recruiting in the SEC region or the Big 12 region. He would have had a better chance trying to recruit in the Midwest, where he had contacts and his staff did too. Thompson, I don't know what he brought in as far as contacts besides Townes, whom he'd recruited and signed at Georgetown. Maybe he's why the guard we signed came from New Jersey. If so, good for him.

Heath the past few years has spent a lot of time making contact with forwards and centers starting in their sophomore years, but attention to guards has not been anywhere close to the same.

yeah, I believe from Hurley's comments that Ronny Thompson gets credit for McCurdy.

[Jim Harris]

I don't think Stan had any intentions on signing another kid in the spring. Thats why we don't have any good propects. It takes time to convince a kid to come to school here, especially when other schools have been on these kids for a while. So yeah he may have had time to recruit, but it has more than likely been spent on players for next year.

They got on and signed Sean McCurdy almost overnight in relation to how long they spent on the other guards such as Clemente last summer and fall.

That was just because other schools he was interested in withdrew their scholarship offers.

Is that supposed to be a good thing?

[tophawg19]

I'm hearing that Mccurdy is a little slow to penetrate defenses almost more of a 2 than a true1
difenately not a slasher and that some teams withdrew before he signed with us . i wish they had taken a little more time on clemente .

[SonOfMud]

I'm hearing that Mccurdy is a little slow to penetrate defenses almost more of a 2 than a true1
difenately not a slasher and that some teams withdrew before he signed with us . i wish they had taken a little more time on clemente .

Sad but true.  Didn't even play the point in HS.  And then doesn't play his senior year. 

SH was in on Clemente early and first, guess he just gave up on him when he hadn't committed early.  Next year will be a lot of the same, with a harder schedule.  Is the SEC suppose to be down still?

[Biggus Piggus]

SHE was in on Clemente last spring.  That's not early or first.

[Buck Ocean]

Maybe a toothless barefoot guy holding a shotgun

ah, yes....refering to the 7 footer from West Fork that went to OSU about 7 years ago?

or perhaps thats Jason Gilbert's dad......or if he lost a couple a teeth: Jason Gilbert

[mikeirwin]

he might have a thing or two to still learn about coaching, but there's no way you can doubt his recruiting ability. he's brought in top guys in a time when our program was on the slip.

Top guys ?
Who are these top guys ?
I see two. Brewer. Townes.
Not good enough.
You need more than two.
There have been some top guys who weren't really top guys. Like Famutimi.
Top guys who aren't top guys don't count.

[PerryHog]

Does Stan feel secure in his job? I think he must, otherwise he'd have a pg signed. Might be a bad move for the future, but in my mind, he doesn't have a future without some help at the point. Stan is gambling his 800k job on McCurdy. And why doesn't he have a coach hired yet?

[Kevin]

the white flag has been raised around our bball program.  a new coach will be in place next year at this time.

[Fatty McGee]

what worries me more is the failure to develope players once they are here .
both hill & thomas got worse as the year progressed . hill stopped looking to shoot which
took him out of the offense and put more pressure on the outside. thomas never did figure
out what his position was .ferguson could develope into a decent P G but he's doing it more by himself .

Hill and Thomas didn't get worse.  Hill and Thomas finally started playing against SEC level competition. 

[Fatty McGee]

Does Stan feel secure in his job? I think he must, otherwise he'd have a pg signed. Might be a bad move for the future, but in my mind, he doesn't have a future without some help at the point. Stan is gambling his 800k job on McCurdy. And why doesn't he have a coach hired yet?

What's the rush to hire an assistant now?

[Fatty McGee]

The lesson to learn is that Heath resented Monk being a scholarship football player walking on with the basketball team. Heath didn't like the Jones situation and definitely did not want this arrangement to be habit-forming, for whatever stupid reason he had in his head. Monk would still be playing basketball were a different coach in place. Trust me on that one. Heath was NOT relying on Monk at all.

Or maybe Heath realized that relying on a part time player is a bad idea, and that not only was Monk a freshman who had just spent 5 months practicing football, but he played the same position as 3 other players but did not have the ball handling skills they did, or if we went big, the size.