Development has its place - NBA MVP

[The_Bionic_Pig]

[Kevin]

Skills matter.

[Tusks]

Skills matter.

crazy skills

[WorfHog]

Skills matter.

As a three star the recruiting sites must not have thought he really had them. That tells me they miss on big time talent occasionally. A good coach might see through the ratings. I wonder if the experts on Bearcatville raked Bob McKillop over the coals for signing a three star undersized guard. They probably still deride Curry for forgoing his senior season.

I'm joking of course, but that's what Jump Ball would do.

[tbhogfan]

Just think of all of the D1 schools within a 90-minute drive of Curry's HS that didn't offer (even UNC-Charlotte didn't offer).  I'm guessing that the biggest "name" school to offer him was VCU. 

He's a classic example of the fact that you cannot always judge a player by his stars and his offer list.

[Kevin]

he want to go to the basketball powerhouse va tech  they offered a walk on spot

[hawginbigd1]

I ain't gonna lie, I thought he was a 1 trick pony coming out! Thought he might be a back-up 2 and situational shooter.

[ghostzapper]

As a three star the recruiting sites must not have thought he really had them. That tells me they miss on big time talent occasionally. A good coach might see through the ratings. I wonder if the experts on Bearcatville raked Bob McKillop over the coals for signing a three star undersized guard. They probably still deride Curry for forgoing his senior season.

I'm joking of course, but that's what Jump Ball would do.

As a Davidson grad, I say this with the confidence of not being refuted.  He is the first and only Davidson athlete to leave early for the pros. 

[WarPig88]

Recruiting rankings are pretty much based off the AAU/prep school circuits. If you don't play on a top flite AAU squad then you can forget about being highly regarded unless you are an UNDENIABLE stud!

[ghostzapper]

In horse racing parlance, he came from a great nick.  He also played with arguably the best point guard in America at Davidson for two years.

[hogville38]

He also works is butt off. To me that's what made him a star.

[ghostzapper]

No doubt about that. 

[Inhogswetrust]

As a three star the recruiting sites must not have thought he really had them. That tells me they miss on big time talent occasionally. A good coach might see through the ratings.

One name: Michael Jordan...................

[ghostzapper]

This is just sick.  And McKillop made it possible by moving him to a one his junior year.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vTqipzkfIFo

[intelligence]

This is just sick.  And McKillop made it possible by moving him to a one his junior year.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vTqipzkfIFo

you shared a private video there cuh

[ghostzapper]

Hmmm.  Don't know what happened there.  Here's another one.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ49oFHyZ94

[Kevin]

Like to see more players take his approach at getting better.

[daprospecta]

I watched his Davidson games his sophomore and junior year and he was not a star going into the NBA.  He was a shorter Reggie Miller.  Automatic from the 3 when giving a very small space.  He did not and I repeat did not have the ball-handling skills that he has now.  IMO, that is what elevated his game.  He can create his own shot now.  I saw in an interview where he said he knew that was the missing link and he practiced and practiced and practiced his ball handling skills. 

[LRrazorback]

Cross between pistol Pete, John Stockton, and Isaiah Thomas. Fabulous player

[Hawg Red]

Recruiting analysts did not miss on Curry. Sometimes a player just works really hard to make themselves a better basketball player, and that's what happened with Curry. Coming out of HS, he was nothing special. That's why he ended up at Davidson and got no high-major looks. Recruiting analysts should not be expected to accurately predict who will work like a mad man to put themselves into the elite category of player. They're only expected to evaluate who good the player currently is or how far their natural progression figures to take them. Curry's a very rare example.

[Hawg Red]

One name: Michael Jordan...................

Not sure what you're getting at as it relates to the post you quoted. Michael Jordan was a McDonald's All-American coming out of HS. He was an elite prospect.

[Inhogswetrust]

Not sure what you're getting at as it relates to the post you quoted. Michael Jordan was a McDonald's All-American coming out of HS. He was an elite prospect.

I was talking about how recruiting has changed AND how he wanted to DEVELOP himself which is the word the thread title mentioned. There are a lot of stories about how he was cut as a Sophomore from his high school team in NC. He was not highly recruited at first but grew into it. His recruitment is a fascinating story and one that was profiled in a 2011 article from Scout connected to UNC basketball. There are others out there as well but this one was from the viewpoint of people in NC at the time. Google H=Michael Jordan recruiting and read up on it. He was not highly prized UNTIL word leaked out and Roy Williams takes the blame for that. The MOST important aspect though was ALL of the UNC coaches spoke about how he wanted to learn and work harder than anyone else. He obviously had the talent and athletic ability for the game BUT he worked his butt off to be the best.

Here is one small excerpt from the article:

"What impressed Smith and his staff was Jordan's hunger to learn. He kept sneaking into drills. They couldn't get him off the court. By the end of the session, the Tar Heel coach knew that he was sitting on a special prospect."

P.S. Another really interesting thing mentioned is that Dean was "hamstrung by the NCAA" over stuff that his predecessor Frank did while at UNC and it affected his ability to recruit nationally and thus he focussed locally and there were some really talented players growing up at the time in NC..........

[Hawg Red]

I was talking about how recruiting has changed AND how he wanted to DEVELOP himself which is the word the thread title mentioned. There are a lot of stories about how he was cut as a Sophomore from his high school team in NC. He was not highly recruited at first but grew into it. His recruitment is a fascinating story and one that was profiled in a 2011 article from Scout connected to UNC basketball. There are others out there as well but this one was from the viewpoint of people in NC at the time. Google H=Michael Jordan recruiting and read up on it. He was not highly prized UNTIL word leaked out and Roy Williams takes the blame for that. The MOST important aspect though was ALL of the UNC coaches spoke about how he wanted to learn and work harder than anyone else. He obviously had the talent and athletic ability for the game BUT he worked his butt off to be the best.

Here is one small excerpt from the article:

"What impressed Smith and his staff was Jordan's hunger to learn. He kept sneaking into drills. They couldn't get him off the court. By the end of the session, the Tar Heel coach knew that he was sitting on a special prospect."

P.S. Another really interesting thing mentioned is that Dean was "hamstrung by the NCAA" over stuff that his predecessor Frank did while at UNC and it affected his ability to recruit nationally and thus he focussed locally and there were some really talented players growing up at the time in NC..........

Players rarely entered the draft before their junior season in that era. I think that applies to that whole era, not just Jordan. But, obviously, Jordan did have a rare work ethic, so I do see the reference.

[Kevin]

the most overlooked skill in recruiting-CHARACTER!!!

nobody cared how hard he was willing to work.

[WorfHog]

Still some on this forum and Jump Ball complain about Mike's recruiting when he brings in high character blue-collar guys who want to come in a work hard, because they don't have the stars.  They says we'll never compete because we aren't attracting high level recruits (which is also bogus). 

[Hawg Red]

Still some on this forum and Jump Ball complain about Mike's recruiting when he brings in high character blue-collar guys who want to come in a work hard, because they don't have the stars.  They says we'll never compete because we aren't attracting high level recruits (which is also bogus).

I'm not so sure that is bogus. I think, to be successful in college basketball over a sustained period of time, you absolutely do need "the stars" for your recruits. Mike Anderson doesn't bring in bad players. The debate is whether or not they are good enough to reach the level of sustained success that we all want the program to reach.

[hawganatic]

He's a classic example of the fact that you cannot always judge a player by his stars and his offer list.

Or he's a classic example of what hard work, dedication, and GOOD COACHING can do.  Guess it didn't occur to you that the three star was accurate when he came out of high school, and he and his coaches turned him into what he is now?

[Inhogswetrust]

Players rarely entered the draft before their junior season in that era. I think that applies to that whole era, not just Jordan. But, obviously, Jordan did have a rare work ethic, so I do see the reference.

I'm not talking about the draft. We are talking about recruiting out of high school and their college choice and career. Players were looked at by college coaches younger than their junior year even back then. Maybe not as much as now BUT it was still done.

[Hawg Red]

I'm not talking about the draft. We are talking about recruiting out of high school and their college choice and career. Players were looked at by college coaches younger than their junior year even back then. Maybe not as much as now BUT it was still done.

But to really develop your game in the manner that we're discussing, you have to stay in college. Jordan and Curry played 3 years in college, which doesn't often happen with NBA prospects these days. The lottery is mostly freshmen and sophomores. My point is that a lot of Jordan's development could be attributed to the fact that it was the norm back then to stay 3-4 years in college. He'd be a one-and-done today and who knows if he'd have turned out the same. Curry's a kid who had no choice but to work hard and develop or else he'd have turned out to be nothing in the grand scheme of things because he didn't have the athleticism or raw talent. Jordan had both of those things plus a killer work ethic, but staying 3 years in college definitely helped him back then. Obviously players still work hard and develop once they get to the pros, but so much of how you end up in the NBA is determined by where you were when you entered.

[Inhogswetrust]

But to really develop your game in the manner that we're discussing, you have to stay in college. Jordan and Curry played 3 years in college, which doesn't often happen with NBA prospects these days. The lottery is mostly freshmen and sophomores. My point is that a lot of Jordan's development could be attributed to the fact that it was the norm back then to stay 3-4 years in college. He'd be a one-and-done today and who knows if he'd have turned out the same. Curry's a kid who had no choice but to work hard and develop or else he'd have turned out to be nothing in the grand scheme of things because he didn't have the athleticism or raw talent. Jordan had both of those things plus a killer work ethic, but staying 3 years in college definitely helped him back then. Obviously players still work hard and develop once they get to the pros, but so much of how you end up in the NBA is determined by where you were when you entered.

I do agree on the development aspect of the fewer years the less development. But i don't think there is a huge difference in development from one extra year in college once they become juniors. Usually by that time their body is where it would be anyway. At that point it is more game management and learning the pro game and not body type.

[Inhogswetrust]

the most overlooked skill in recruiting-CHARACTER!!!

nobody cared how hard he was willing to work.

Generally character manifests itself in work ethic among other ways.

[Kevin]

Generally character manifests itself in work ethic among other ways.

Usually harder to see when All you do is evaluate games.

[Hawg Red]

I do agree on the development aspect of the fewer years the less development. But i don't think there is a huge difference in development from one extra year in college once they become juniors. Usually by that time their body is where it would be anyway. At that point it is more game management and learning the pro game and not body type.

Certainly in today's game, I agree. Why it wasn't realistic to expect Bobby to come back and get better. He'd already ascended to being the best player in the conference. Not sure anyone coming back or coming in would have pushed him in that regard. Better to move on and play only against like-talented players and better. It's the only way he'll improve. He can still work on his body in the pros, but he's always going to be a thinner-looking guy.

[hoglady]

Curry grew 3 inches his freshman year of college. Was only 6' coming out of high school. But good lord he scored 32 points and grabbed 9 rebounds the second game of his freshman year - against Michigan. He led the conference in scoring his freshman year - averaged 21.5 points a game.
I think he was a huge miss by the recruiting services and the big boy programs.

[Inhogswetrust]

Curry grew 3 inches his freshman year of college. Was only 6' coming out of high school. But good lord he scored 32 points and grabbed 9 rebounds the second game of his freshman year - against Michigan. He led the conference in scoring his freshman year - averaged 21.5 points a game.
I think he was a huge miss by the recruiting services and the big boy programs.

One name................Scottie Pippen.

[Hawg Red]

Also David Robinson and Dennis Rodman. Both guys sprouted big time.

More recently, though not in college, Anthony Davis was like 6 feet tall his sophomore year of HS.

[hoglady]

One name…………….Scottie Pippen.

Yep - only Scottie's was even more drastic.
I miss those days of watching Pippen and Jordan play. Still have a bunch of old VHS tapes of those Bulls games - only I don't have anything to play them on anymore.

[TexasRazorback]

He was ranked as a 3 star because of how good his skills were. had he have been a a few inches taller and closer to 200 lbs coming out of high school he would have been a no brainer 4 star maybe 5 star

[ghostzapper]

https://medium.com/@DavidDWrites/great-day-to-be-a-wildcat-my-first-row-seats-for-stephen-curry-s-rise-from-davidson-freshman-to-5346a5f8ee19

[poloprince]

Development does have its place, but not many kids have the resources available to them as Curry did.

[ghostzapper]

No doubt Curry had assets available to him.  But, no doubt, he made the most of them.