Changes Badly Needed in Reporting Recruiting Info?

[DC_Area_Panther]

IMHO, with so much transferring going on now and in the future— Rivals and other recruiting sites need to update their reporting model to better report on player transfers and to assess overall “recruiting“ outcomes for teams based on all incoming and outgoing players. Being based solely or primarily on freshmen recruit classes no longer appears very useful to fans.

Is this obvious or do others not see it quite this way?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

IMHO, with so much transferring going on now and in the future— Rivals and other recruiting sites need to update their reporting model to better report on player transfers and to assess overall “recruiting“ outcomes for teams based on all incoming and outgoing players. Being based solely or primarily on freshmen recruit classes no longer appears very useful to fans.

Is this obvious or do others not see it quite this way?

I agree. If I was running a college basketball recruiting business, I would devote maybe 25% of my resources to HS recruiting and 75% to transfer recruiting. I think they're going to need to heavily invest in Top 100s, 250s, etc in the transfer market. We need to start hearing "so and so was a Top 10 transfer but hasnt produced or Player X wasnt ranked as a Top 250 transfer and is averaging 14 PPG at School Y."

 

[zookeeper2000]

Good point. I’m guessing they have to he having those discussions behind the scenes…maybe… Although I think this transfer madness is exacerbated in the short run by the extra Covid year.

NIL and the portal are going to be big things for sure moving forward but I do think some programs (like Pitt’s defense in football) have a model that values having players who are very experienced with “their system”. So while they might target a few key transfers at positions or need or upgrade…most good programs would prefer to develop their talent in house than trying to just assemble a roster of free agents every year with no cohesion.

 

[joeydavid]

IMHO, with so much transferring going on now and in the future— Rivals and other recruiting sites need to update their reporting model to better report on player transfers and to assess overall “recruiting“ outcomes for teams based on all incoming and outgoing players. Being based solely or primarily on freshmen recruit classes no longer appears very useful to fans.

Is this obvious or do others not see it quite this way?

247 has both recruiting and transfer rankings. I'm guessing they will integrate them eventually.

 

[73CAV]

IMHO, with so much transferring going on now and in the future— Rivals and other recruiting sites need to update their reporting model to better report on player transfers and to assess overall “recruiting“ outcomes for teams based on all incoming and outgoing players. Being based solely or primarily on freshmen recruit classes no longer appears very useful to fans.

Is this obvious or do others not see it quite this way?

Is that part of the business model for these services? Most of them have been downsizing staffs. Eric Bossi at 247Sports may be the last competent judge of high school talent on the national scene, and he is really more of a regional guy. ESPN is pretty much a joke. For the most part, the various services cannot keep up with high school recruitments, and they have months, if not years, to get a handle on those. The recruitments of transfers are incredibly short by comparison. With the exception of those who have entered the NBA draft and the transfer portal simultaneously, most relevant transfers are over in weeks. (I don't think anyone is interested in those in the portal who will never find a new home which is a considerable number. Except their moms.) I don't think that Rivals, 247Sports, and/or ESPN have any interest in investing the necessary resources to cover them properly. Of course, it is doubtful that any of the services care if they get things right, either. None of them ever boast of their past accuracy as a selling point. No one remembers what they said about 2019 recruits. All they care about are today's "clicks".

 

[joeydavid]

Is that part of the business model for these services? Most of them have been downsizing staffs. Eric Bossi at 247Sports may be the last competent judge of high school talent on the national scene, and he is really more of a regional guy. ESPN is pretty much a joke. For the most part, the various services cannot keep up with high school recruitments, and they have months, if not years, to get a handle on those. The recruitments of transfers are incredibly short by comparison. With the exception of those who have entered the NBA draft and the transfer portal simultaneously, most relevant transfers are over in weeks. (I don't think anyone is interested in those in the portal who will never find a new home which is a considerable number. Except their moms.) I don't think that Rivals, 247Sports, and/or ESPN have any interest in investing the necessary resources to cover them properly. Of course, it is doubtful that any of the services care if they get things right, either. None of them ever boast of their past accuracy as a selling point. No one remembers what they said about 2019 recruits. All they care about are today's "clicks".

For example...

 

[Chris Peak]

I agree. If I was running a college basketball recruiting business, I would devote maybe 25% of my resources to HS recruiting and 75% to transfer recruiting. I think they're going to need to heavily invest in Top 100s, 250s, etc in the transfer market. We need to start hearing "so and so was a Top 10 transfer but hasnt produced or Player X wasnt ranked as a Top 250 transfer and is averaging 14 PPG at School Y."

That's fine, except high school recruiting happens all year round, and transfer recruiting is primarily in the spring. Things get hot and heavy with transfers December-May, but that's only half the year. Are you dedicating 75% of your resources to half the year? Particularly when transfer coverage is virtually nil July-November.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

You will all bow to Father Football and you will all like it.

 

[Duneaux Harm]

IMHO, with so much transferring going on now and in the future— Rivals and other recruiting sites need to update their reporting model to better report on player transfers and to assess overall “recruiting“ outcomes for teams based on all incoming and outgoing players. Being based solely or primarily on freshmen recruit classes no longer appears very useful to fans.

Is this obvious or do others not see it quite this way?

Rivals and other sites are overall pretty worthless.