BBall Prospect Nick Babb may have just committed

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

Thank you.

Back to Babb, nice pick up in a spot we need players.

Love it!!
Putting the pieces together!

[Darren DeLoach]

From my Sports Illustrated following the national championship, "and the lightly recruited Thurman"...

[Darren DeLoach]

And welcome to the team Mr. Babb. You join us at a position of incredible need, and I believe you will do so amazingly!!

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

And welcome to the team Mr. Babb. You join us at a position of incredible need, and I believe you will do so amazingly!!

I can't wait until next years team with qualls, Moses, beard, baab etc.

[Darren DeLoach]

"Richardson has made a system of his anger. Players with something to prove identify with his sense of aggrievement and thrive. Williamson, Robinson and Wilson were all high school All-Americas, but Thurman was way back in triple digits on those lists ranking high school seniors, despite a splendid puree of skills. "Nobody wanted Corey Beck," Richardson says of the 6'2" point guard from Memphis whom he considered the soul of his team and who grabbed 10 rebounds in the title game. Stewart weighed more than 300 pounds and looked like a cartoon character when he came to Fayetteville. As for Dillard, a former grocery bagger in Birmingham, he had to get a G.E.D. and attend two years of junior college before earning, at age 25, a spot on a Division I team. Even the Razorbacks' lone white player, Rimac, related to his coach's invocations of the rutted road. "It must have hurt him a lot," he says of Jim Crow. "It's like if someone tells me I can't stay with the team because I'm not American."------

April 11, 1994
Razor Sharp
A clutch three-pointer gave Arkansas the NCAA title and, at last, the respect it deserved
Alexander Wolff

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

"Richardson has made a system of his anger. Players with something to prove identify with his sense of aggrievement and thrive. Williamson, Robinson and Wilson were all high school All-Americas, but Thurman was way back in triple digits on those lists ranking high school seniors, despite a splendid puree of skills. "Nobody wanted Corey Beck," Richardson says of the 6'2" point guard from Memphis whom he considered the soul of his team and who grabbed 10 rebounds in the title game. Stewart weighed more than 300 pounds and looked like a cartoon character when he came to Fayetteville. As for Dillard, a former grocery bagger in Birmingham, he had to get a G.E.D. and attend two years of junior college before earning, at age 25, a spot on a Division I team. Even the Razorbacks' lone white player, Rimac, related to his coach's invocations of the rutted road. "It must have hurt him a lot," he says of Jim Crow. "It's like if someone tells me I can't stay with the team because I'm not American."------

April 11, 1994
Razor Sharp
A clutch three-pointer gave Arkansas the NCAA title and, at last, the respect it deserved
Alexander Wolff

That 92-93 team was often referred to as "richardsons runts".

[PonderinHog]

That 92-93 team was often referred to as "richardsons runts".

They played North Carolina tougher than anyone.

[The_Iceman]

How can you look at this and not be excited as a hog fan.

http://espn.go.com/colleges/basketball/recruiting/school/_/id/8/class/2014

People said CMA needed to get a PG with this class, what does he do, he goes and gets a top 100 pg and best player in the state.  Oh did i mention he was committed to our RIVALS in Mizzou, but we got him to be a hog.

Next, they say we don't have any shooters we need people to play off of Portis, Kingsley, and Harris, CMA goes and get a kid that's not only a knock down shooter, but top 150 player, and lock down defender in Babb.

And he signed the best big man in the state, just for insurance on the front line as well.

I don't understand how anybody could even put together a rational argument against the staff's recruiting right now.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/school/_/id/2633/class/2014

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/school/_/id/333/class/2014

These two are ranked #8 and #9. Ours has to be Top 10 now.

[mhuff]

1) We didn't "sign" anyone

2) We should be able to sign 3*/Top 150 players as easily as many other SEC schools

3) I'm glad we landed Babb's commitment, but we need to land more impact players like Powell, Young, Portis, and Kingsley. Babb isn't an impact recruit IMO.

Sorry if the facts upset you.

I am glad we got this player and have already so stated. RA, what you have said is completely true. We can not get back to the top with mediocre players. Plus folks getting back to the NIT is not palatable to me. Once upon a time going to the NIT was unacceptable. Correct me if I am wrong ,but Nolan turned down the NIT once. I want to see a program......a successful program..... and nothing else is acceptable. We need big time players to attract other big time players. The point was made that everyone doesn't have to be a four or five star player. The point was made that we needed impact players. I agree with that. An impact player to me is one that is an asset to his or her team on both ends of the court. The players we had for the most part couldn't play dead in a western  when it came to defense and rebounding. This year we will have some impact players. Yes, we need players in that top 75 range. I believe we will definitely get those in 2015 and 2016. We should be loaded for bear and be able to attack some teams instead of playing without heart or poor coaching. There's no excuse now.

[The real Hogules]

How many years since Pel has been fired and you still cannot just get behind MA.  Sad...

We just signed a very good player.  Try to throw out some positivity every once in a while

That doesn't fit his agenda...........................

[Pork Twain]

I am glad we got this player and have already so stated. RA, what you have said is completely true. We can not get back to the top with mediocre players. Plus folks getting back to the NIT is not palatable to me. Once upon a time going to the NIT was unacceptable. Correct me if I am wrong ,but Nolan turned down the NIT once. I want to see a program......a successful program..... and nothing else is acceptable. We need big time players to attract other big time players. The point was made that everyone doesn't have to be a four or five star player. The point was made that we needed impact players. I agree with that. An impact player to me is one that is an asset to his or her team on both ends of the court. The players we had for the most part couldn't play dead in a western  when it came to defense and rebounding. This year we will have some impact players. Yes, we need players in that top 75 range. I believe we will definitely get those in 2015 and 2016. We should be loaded for bear and be able to attack some teams instead of playing without heart or poor coaching. There's no excuse now.

Just read the thread and then comment...

[Biggus Piggus]

Days like today make me glad John Pelphrey got fired and wish he had never been allowed to coach basketball on any level. He is a moron.

[jamie72921]

I am glad we got this player and have already so stated. RA, what you have said is completely true. We can not get back to the top with mediocre players. Plus folks getting back to the NIT is not palatable to me. Once upon a time going to the NIT was unacceptable. Correct me if I am wrong ,but Nolan turned down the NIT once. I want to see a program......a successful program..... and nothing else is acceptable. We need big time players to attract other big time players. The point was made that everyone doesn't have to be a four or five star player. The point was made that we needed impact players. I agree with that. An impact player to me is one that is an asset to his or her team on both ends of the court. The players we had for the most part couldn't play dead in a western  when it came to defense and rebounding. This year we will have some impact players. Yes, we need players in that top 75 range. I believe we will definitely get those in 2015 and 2016. We should be loaded for bear and be able to attack some teams instead of playing without heart or poor coaching. There's no excuse now.

You asked to be corrected.

Nolan never turned down the NIT.

[The real Hogules]

You asked to be corrected.

Nolan never turned down the NIT.

I believe that Stan Heath turned the NIT down once, while coaching at Arkansas.

[Nipsey Mussle]

1. Scotty Thurman wasn't highly recruited by any stretch of the imagination.

2. I'm happy to get Babb and this feels like a great fit for the program.

3. I don't mind taking guys that are rated 100-ish like Babb, especially he is a serviceable player. One thing we've been missing for a long time are reasonably tall sg's who can actually shoot the 3. Bell at 6'3, Babb at 6'4 are capable of doing just that.

4. In HA's defense, I can't think of him attacking MA for missing a recruit. I've seen him come right out and say things like "He was a Georgetown lean from the beginning..." etc on many occasions.

[Nipsey Mussle]

I believe that Stan Heath turned the NIT down once, while coaching at Arkansas.

Indeed he did.

[IUHog]

Not a fan of statistical anomalies, but Victor Oladipo was ranked almost 20 places lower than Babb, and Beard.  A kid that is ranked in the top 150, and commits to CMA's system and expectations, obviously isn't your typical AAU primadonna who wants to work hard and develop as a player on the Hill.

Color me excited to watch him develop as a Razorback for the next 3 to 4 years.

WPS!

[sooiepig_12]

My favorite is when he said Babb isn't an impact recruit, we need to sign Top 100 players. Then I go to ESPN and see Beard and Thompson are Top 100 players. Weird...

Not to add fuel to the fire or anything, but I personally don't think ESPN's ratings are as accurate as 247.  I think ESPN's ratings are not as up to date.  Beard and Thompson's stock has definitely fallen since their soph. year.  Whereas guys like Tory Miller are rising.  I love the Babb pickup though, and think Beard was a good signing as well.  I have my doubts about Thompson though and I believe I would rather have Miller instead.

[Nipsey Mussle]

Not to add fuel to the fire or anything, but I personally don't think ESPN's ratings are as accurate as 247.  I think ESPN's ratings are not as up to date.  Beard and Thompson's stock has definitely fallen since their soph. year.  Whereas guys like Tory Miller are rising.  I love the Babb pickup though, and think Beard was a good signing as well.  I have my doubts about Thompson though and I believe I would rather have Miller instead.

Sooiepig it's as simple as this on HV:

If Espn has one of our commits rated high: They know their stuff

If Espn has one of our commits rated low: They're clueless, they hate Arkansas, they discriminate against us, all other sites are better...

I think they're pretty close on Babb though 

[Breems]

I'm not sure what's better - Babb's commitment, or others filling in for me on taking HA to the woodshed.

The '13 and '14 classes are looking very swell. We're assembling an excellent core group for the next few seasons.

[Swinesong1]

Not to add fuel to the fire or anything, but I personally don't think ESPN's ratings are as accurate as 247.  I think ESPN's ratings are not as up to date.  Beard and Thompson's stock has definitely fallen since their soph. year.  Whereas guys like Tory Miller are rising.  I love the Babb pickup though, and think Beard was a good signing as well.  I have my doubts about Thompson though and I believe I would rather have Miller instead.

I'm not one to put a lot of stock in ratings or stars when it comes to high school basketball.  All the AAU politics tend to inflate or deflate a player's rankings.  Not to mention the fact most services will rate a kid highly based solely on who's recruiting him.  I think if you pay attention to how a kid performs on the EYBL circuit (if his team participates), how he performs against other supposedly top players at his position and even study a few of his videos, you can get a pretty good idea if he's going to be an asset or not.  Don't get me wrong now, a consensus top 25 kid is usually a standout player, but after that, you can pretty much put all the players with obvious talent in a hat and rank them that way.

[Swinesong1]

Nice eval:

Some of his coaches like to call him Babb Island because of his ability to defend in space, and there is no doubt that junior shooting guard Nick Babb has potential on the defensive end. But, the three-star from Arlington (Texas) Martin is no slouch on the offensive end either. On Saturday, he came up big when Texas Select needed him.

A confident shooter, Babb has easy range past the 3-point line and is a solidly built kid. The younger brother of Iowa State shooting guard Chris Babb, he is a confident and competitive kid who also does many of the little things that his team needs from him. Each summer a sleeper starts emerging from the Dallas area and if Babb continues to play like he did on Saturday, then he could see things pick up significantly.

[-Blu]

Sooiepig it's as simple as this on HV:

If Espn has one of our commits rated high: They know their stuff

If Espn has one of our commits rated low: They're clueless, they hate Arkansas, they discriminate against us, all other sites are better...

I think they're pretty close on Babb though 

Out of the recruiting services I think 247, Scout, and Future150 update their ranking more frequent than ESPN and Rivals.  However, ESPN is the most important and what most people go by when reviewing the recruiting classes.  When all the pre-season college basketball shows start airing on CBS, ESPN, ESPNU and the local networks they are going to use the ESPN rankings to evaluate the classes.  I don't think I've heard many college bball analyst on major networks refer to anything outside of ESPN rankings.  I may have heard rivals mentioned a few times, but other than that it's usually all ESPN.

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

I'm not sure what's better - Babb's commitment, or others filling in for me on taking HA to the woodshed.

The '13 and '14 classes are looking very swell. We're assembling an excellent core group for the next few seasons.

HA still wants that Florida assistant coach back here as our head coach.

[Smithian]

HA still wants that Florida assistant coach back here as our head coach.

Dang, how did you find out the truth? 

Glad to see certain posters are still grinding the same axes they've been grinding for seasons instead of offering actual insight.

Babb is a good pickup. Reminds me of a Scott/Wade out of high school.

[Speedsmith]

Thurman was the #2 recruit out of Louisiana behind National High School co-player of the year Randy Livingston. He had more offers beyond LA Tech.
[/q uote]WRONG! Thurman and Livingston were not in the same class. Scotty graduated the same year as Jerald Honeycutt and Kerry Kittles. Thurman was an afterthought in the state of Louisiana!

[Nipsey Mussle]

Nice eval:

Some of his coaches like to call him Babb Island because of his ability to defend in space, and there is no doubt that junior shooting guard Nick Babb has potential on the defensive end. But, the three-star from Arlington (Texas) Martin is no slouch on the offensive end either. On Saturday, he came up big when Texas Select needed him.

A confident shooter, Babb has easy range past the 3-point line and is a solidly built kid. The younger brother of Iowa State shooting guard Chris Babb, he is a confident and competitive kid who also does many of the little things that his team needs from him. Each summer a sleeper starts emerging from the Dallas area and if Babb continues to play like he did on Saturday, then he could see things pick up significantly.

Good find and I didn't realize Chris Babb was his older brother. Iowa St. has been one of my favorite teams since they hired Hoiberg.
Good info

[Nipsey Mussle]

Out of the recruiting services I think 247, Scout, and Future150 update their ranking more frequent than ESPN and Rivals.  However, ESPN is the most important and what most people go by when reviewing the recruiting classes.  When all the pre-season college basketball shows start airing on CBS, ESPN, ESPNU and the local networks they are going to use the ESPN rankings to evaluate the classes.  I don't think I've heard many college bball analyst on major networks refer to anything outside of ESPN rankings.  I may have heard rivals mentioned a few times, but other than that it's usually all ESPN.

I think that's fair for college bball and their ratings have seemed pretty legit since I started paying attention a few years ago. I'm not sure they have much respect in terms of football, though. At this point, it's all 247 imo.

[mhuff]

You asked to be corrected.

Nolan never turned down the NIT.

Thanks Jamie and Hogules.... Arkansas has not gotten an NIT offer since 99' when Stan Heathe turned down the NIT.

[mhuff]

Just read the thread and then comment...

Not sure what you are saying. I have read the thread a couple of times. Tell me that KY by hook or by crook hasn't emerged by getting players in the top 20 ...much less top 75. Sure you can get there with lesser players i.e. Indiana State and Larry Bryd, but more times than not you are going to come up short. If this program was a BB program, we would have higher quality players. Watch the next few years in recruiting. We have an excellent chance of getting some highly rated players. Let's see if that makes a difference. Still, you have to play as a team. Look at KY this last year.....what a failure.  You can have a ton of 5* and not succeed. Give me as many top 75 or 100 as possible, but they have to be able to play both ends of the court and play as a team .... not as individuals.

[Pork Twain]

Sooiepig it's as simple as this on HV:

If Espn has one of our commits rated high: They know their stuff

If Espn has one of our commits rated low: They're clueless, they hate Arkansas, they discriminate against us, all other sites are better...

I think they're pretty close on Babb though 

It also has to do with trending.  I would still use 247 and Rivals before others, but Scout, ESPN and Rivals have fallen off in the last decade.

[Pork Twain]

Not sure what you are saying. I have read the thread a couple of times. Tell me that KY by hook or by crook hasn't emerged by getting players in the top 20 ...much less top 75. Sure you can get there with lesser players i.e. Indiana State and Larry Bryd, but more times than not you are going to come up short. If this program was a BB program, we would have higher quality players. Watch the next few years in recruiting. We have an excellent chance of getting some highly rated players. Let's see if that makes a difference. Still, you have to play as a team. Look at KY this last year.....what a failure.  You can have a ton of 5* and not succeed. Give me as many top 75 or 100 as possible, but they have to be able to play both ends of the court and play as a team .... not as individuals.

We are not signing mediocre players, just guys not ranked high enough for HA.  One of the highest ranked classes in my recent memory included Townes, Hill and Thomas and that did not turn out so well.  Very few are trying to pump these players up to be something they are not, but there is no reason to make them sound worse than they are.

[Hawg Red]

You guys are coming down too hard on HawgAdvocate.

He makes a good point. We all love this Nick Babb commitment, but he's just a top 150 player right now. Perhaps we are propping him up a bit. I mean, I love Nick Babb's game and I think he'll be a great player for us. I think he's the kind of guard we've been lacking and I'm probably higher on him that HA is (I think Babb probably moves up into the top 100 or so by the end of it), but he's not a "can't miss" talent.

But right now, guys like Nick Babb are probably the best we can hope for from the out-of-state ranks until we start winning regularly. Again, I love that we got Babb and I'm very excited, but I do see where HA is coming from. I think guys like Nick Babb will get us back where we want to be to put ourselves in legitimate contention for elite talent. For now, we have win with what we have and the caliber of players we're able to get. We could be doing much worse than guys like Nick Babb and Anton Beard.

[Nipsey Mussle]

You guys are coming down too hard on HawgAdvocate.

He makes a good point. We all love this Nick Babb commitment, but he's just a top 150 player right now. Perhaps we are propping him up a bit. I mean, I love Nick Babb's game and I think he'll be a great player for us. I think he's the kind of guard we've been lacking and I'm probably higher on him that HA is (I think Babb probably moves up into the top 100 or so by the end of it), but he's not a "can't miss" talent.

But right now, guys like Nick Babb are probably the best we can hope for from the out-of-state ranks until we start winning regularly. Again, I love that we got Babb and I'm very excited, but I do see where HA is coming from. I think guys like Nick Babb will get us back where we want to be to put ourselves in legitimate contention for elite talent. For now, we have win with what we have and the caliber of players we're able to get. We could be doing much worse than guys like Nick Babb and Anton Beard.

Yes, I think so too. It appears he's been banned and I'm not sure I agree with that. (Not that I'm trying to piss Wilson off or anything either lol).

I admit, when I saw the uproarious reactions to the commitment I had to check and make sure I had the right Nick Babb. I think HA pointed it out for that very reason, the initial reaction was like that for a higher ranked recruit, imo.

The timing was poor, though. I've never been a fan of questioning a recruit's ability, 2 mins after he commits.

Still yet, I'm glad about Babb. When you get recruits of his level, they need to have serviceable abilities and Babb's defense/shooting seem to be just the thing to make this a great pickup.

[Swinesong1]

Yes, I think so too. It appears he's been banned and I'm not sure I agree with that. (Not that I'm trying to piss Wilson off or anything either lol).

I admit, when I saw the uproarious reactions to the commitment I had to check and make sure I had the right Nick Babb. I think HA pointed it out for that very reason, the initial reaction was like that for a higher ranked recruit, imo.

The timing was poor, though. I've never been a fan of questioning a recruit's ability, 2 mins after he commits.

Still yet, I'm glad about Babb. When you get recruits of his level, they need to have serviceable abilities and Babb's defense/shooting seem to be just the thing to make this a great pickup.

I don't think it's just his Babb comments that got people up in arms.  It's the fact that he does this with practically every recruit signed or offered.  He then comes back to gloat about any recruit that goes elsewhere.  All due to his ongoing bitterness behind the previous coach being canned.

[-Blu]

I don't think it's just his Babb comments that got people up in arms.  It's the fact that he does this with practically every recruit signed or offered.  He then comes back to gloat about any recruit that goes elsewhere.  All due to his ongoing bitterness behind the previous coach being canned.

^ This right here.

The thing that gets me about HA, when he's actually trying to provide good information he's a really good poster, very informed, and has an insightful prospective.  But, that other 75% of the time, it's like he's looking to start an argument and rain on everybody's parade for no reason at all.  And it's not the fact that we don't agree with his opinion, it's the fact that he will argue up and down with you about something then contradict himself a few days later just to start another argument.  I just couldn't believe what he said about the Babb commitment after he literally argued for 2 pages on how we would be lucky to get him based on the current status of our basketball program.  Now that we get Babb, according to HA now we need all top 75 recruits to get the program back to where it needs to be.

[Pork Twain]

I don't think it's just his Babb comments that got people up in arms.  It's the fact that he does this with practically every recruit signed or offered.  He then comes back to gloat about any recruit that goes elsewhere.  All due to his ongoing bitterness behind the previous coach being canned.

Exactly it...  A few days ago, we couldn't beat out SMU or aTm, according to HA, but since we got him...  NOBODY is saying Babb is a great player but he appears to be a solid player to add with what we already have signed.   I am not sure where the idea that anyone thinks Babb is great, is coming from.

HA knows his stuff but all too often lets his crap get in the way.

[The_Iceman]

Babb isn't gonna be some all-SEC player, but he does bring a lot to this team as a 6'4" SG. He will fill in behind Bell nicely in 2014. His highlight video shows a player that has a good variety of offensive moves.

Babb's stock has been rising all summer. We're lucky we got on him early before the big offers started coming in. I'm glad we got him and expect him to be a nice contributor for us.

[RazorAg]

IMO, if you get the right fit for the system, signing all top 100-150 type players is a very good class for Coach A, especially when you sprinkle in a handful of top 50 types that are already on the team or will join in the next class or two, which I believe will definitely happen.

I will say this over and over again. Go back and check the recruiting rankings of Coach A's Elite 8 team.

[razorhead94]

IMO, if you get the right fit for the system, signing all top 100-150 type players is a very good class for Coach A, especially when you sprinkle in a handful of top 50 types that are already on the team or will join in the next class or two, which I believe will definitely happen.

I will say this over and over again. Go back and check the recruiting rankings of Coach A's Elite 8 team.

Very good point.  Just look at the ranking for Qualls out of H.S.  I think he made a pretty good impact as a freshman and really came on at the end of the year.  It's getting several really solid players and adding them to your super stars.  It seems as though with the past coaches had struck out on these so called "middle of the pack recruits."  Give me guys that play hard, are coachable, and stay out of trouble.

e.g. Qualls, Bell, Clark

[The_Iceman]

IMO, if you get the right fit for the system, signing all top 100-150 type players is a very good class for Coach A, especially when you sprinkle in a handful of top 50 types that are already on the team or will join in the next class or two, which I believe will definitely happen.

I will say this over and over again. Go back and check the recruiting rankings of Coach A's Elite 8 team.

Agree 100%. Look at some the teams outside of the big name schools that make it to the Sweet 16 or further. Its usually a team with upperclassmen that have been recruited to fit a system. If a team like VCU can go far with the recruits they get, then Mike can do the same here....and has proven he can at UAB and Mizzou.

[The_Iceman]

Very good point.  Just look at the ranking for Qualls out of H.S.  I think he made a pretty good impact as a freshman and really came on at the end of the year.  It's getting several really solid players and adding them to your super stars.  It seems as though with the past coaches had struck out on these so called "middle of the pack recruits."  Give me guys that play hard, are coachable, and stay out of trouble.

e.g. Qualls, Bell, Clark

Wasn't Qualls the "#2 Recruit out of Louisiana"?

[The real Hogules]

When you stop and consider the HIGH number of schools that participate in D-1A college basketball, a top 100-150 recruit is a big deal.
There's certainly "a few" top schools that are going to get more than their fair share of top shelf talent in large numbers (UK, Duke, UNC, KU, UConn, ect.), but the vast majority of schools won't even sniff a top 75-150 type of recruit and seem to do quite well in their respective conferences.

Count me among those excited about the addition of Nick Babb to our men's basketball program.

[razorhead94]

Wasn't Qualls the "#2 Recruit out of Louisiana"?

Could have been, but he just cracked the top 150 at the end of the recruiting season and was a late bloomer.  He's in the same neighorhood recruiting wise with Babb.  Babb may even be a little better (recruiting wise #127 at this point.).

The thing I like is that we are fairly close to closing out the recruiting for 2014 and the season hasn't even started yet.  That's great news for putting major focus on the 2015 and 2016 classes which I believe we can make a major splash on.

[HF#1]

Sounds like a good pickup.  If he's a shooting guard/wing player then he will help no doubt. 

[Smithian]

Very good point.  Just look at the ranking for Qualls out of H.S.  I think he made a pretty good impact as a freshman and really came on at the end of the year.  It's getting several really solid players and adding them to your super stars.  It seems as though with the past coaches had struck out on these so called "middle of the pack recruits."  Give me guys that play hard, are coachable, and stay out of trouble.

e.g. Qualls, Bell, Clark

The Hogs signed Bobby Portis. Hopefully we hit on Malik Monk. Where are the other big time players that allow role players to shine? For all our complaints about BJ Young, he was a player last season defenses keyed on and opened up other players to succeed. The hope is this season Portis or Madden will be that player who opens it up for others.

We're recruiting the indians, need to sign the chiefs.

[razorhead94]

The Hogs signed Bobby Portis. Hopefully we hit on Malik Monk. Where are the other big time players that allow role players to shine? For all our complaints about BJ Young, he was a player last season defenses keyed on and opened up other players to succeed. The hope is this season Portis or Madden will be that player who opens it up for others.

We're recruiting the indians, need to sign the chiefs.

And as you keep building and make it to the NCAA tournament(s) it will be easier to land of couple of these top 25-50 recruits yearly.  You don't necessarily need a team full to be very successful, although that would be nice.  Was B.J. a superstar?  Yes, but I found it odd that he only started 50% of the games.  That should be a sign to you.  Notice I said give me guys that play hard, are coachable, and stay out of trouble.

[Smithian]

And as you keep building and make it to the NCAA tournament(s) it will be easier to land of couple of these top 25-50 recruits yearly.  You don't necessarily need a team full to be very successful, although that would be nice.  Was B.J. a superstar?  Yes, but I found it odd that he only started 50% of the games.  That should be a sign to you.  Notice I said give me guys that play hard, are coachable, and stay out of trouble.

I'm glad you recognize the need to win to recruit.

Some people on here think the program is on schedule if we struggle this season. I think the Razorbacks make the tournament this season and there will be benefits on the recruiting trail. If we miss the tournament against it will be even more difficult to recruit high level recruits (like that one Bentonville player) without on court success to point at.

[mhuff]

I am glad we got this player and have already so stated. HA, what you have said is completely true. We can not get back to the top with mediocre players. Plus folks getting back to the NIT is not palatable to me. Once upon a time going to the NIT was unacceptable. Correct me if I am wrong ,but Nolan turned down the NIT once. I want to see a program......a successful program..... and nothing else is acceptable. We need big time players to attract other big time players. The point was made that everyone doesn't have to be a four or five star player. The point was made that we needed impact players. I agree with that. An impact player to me is one that is an asset to his or her team on both ends of the court. The players we had for the most part couldn't play dead in a western  when it came to defense and rebounding. This year we will have some impact players. Yes, we need players in that top 75 range. I believe we will definitely get those in 2015 and 2016. We should be loaded for bear and be able to attack some teams instead of playing without heart or poor coaching. There's no excuse now.

[razorhead94]

I'm glad you recognize the need to win to recruit.

Some people on here think the program is on schedule if we struggle this season. I think the Razorbacks make the tournament this season and there will be benefits on the recruiting trail. If we miss the tournament against it will be even more difficult to recruit high level recruits (like that one Bentonville player) without on court success to point at.

Yes, it is defintely time to start winning.