Recruiting thought

[gary2]

ACC recruiting has been difficult for Pitt under both coaches.

I think it is time to recruit to the league and not our school.

I think we need to give up on going head to head with ACC schools in the ACC footprint.(unless this is some connection that might indicate a chance at success: family alum, close friends with high school or AAU coach, etc.)

I think we need to concentrate on recruiting kids that are impressed by the ACC (but not heavily recruited by the top tier ACC schools) in other leagues footprints: SEC territory, Big 12 territory, Pac 10 territory and Big East, American and Atlantic 10 territory.

We need to do this because we have no natural recruiting territory.

We need to pitch the best league in the country and best exposure in the country to draw from areas where that approach can work.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

It stopped working when we left the Big East for the ACC. There was a reason Dixon was not pleased with the move to the ACC. He new it would kill off our recruiting which was designed to get Northeastern kids who liked the BE to play in the BE.

 

[Franb]

It stopped working when we left the Big East for the ACC. There was a reason Dixon was not pleased with the move to the ACC. He new it would kill off our recruiting which was designed to get Northeastern kids who liked the BE to play in the BE.

That BE no longer exists, so those NE kids have to play somewhere else. Why not the ACC?

 

[DiehardPanther]

WV seems to be doing just fine because Huggins implemented the press, and brought in tough, hard nosed kids.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

That BE no longer exists, so those NE kids have to play somewhere else. Why not the ACC?

The BE still exists as a hoops conference, albeit reconstituted. Many New England, New York and Philly kids aren't ACC fans and have very little interest in playing in the ACC. Boeheim wasn't pleased with Cuse moving to the ACC either.

The ACC is great for Pitt football and for overall athletic department revenues but it isn't and won't be good for Pitt basketball, IMO. We will never be able to contend for a league championship like we did in the BE.

 

[wbrpanther]

It stopped working when we left the Big East for the ACC. There was a reason Dixon was not pleased with the move to the ACC. He new it would kill off our recruiting which was designed to get Northeastern kids who liked the BE to play in the BE.

It killed our recruiting because Dixon thought he had to adapt to the less physical ACC style rather than keep playing old BE type ball and making the league adapt to Pitt. Just my opinion.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

It stopped working when we left the Big East for the ACC. There was a reason Dixon was not pleased with the move to the ACC. He new it would kill off our recruiting which was designed to get Northeastern kids who liked the BE to play in the BE.

That BE no longer exists, so those NE kids have to play somewhere else. Why not the ACC?

Bingo.

Huggins is sure having a tough time.

Get a guy who can recruit. These kids will play anywhere. Almost all of them leave home in HS now to play prep ball anyway.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

It killed our recruiting because Dixon thought he had to adapt to the less physical ACC style rather than keep playing old BE type ball and making the league adapt to Pitt. Just my opinion.

I don't doubt that concept was a factor. However, the NCAA's "freedom of movement" officiating emphasis was forcing the change away from the style Pitt played at least as much; if not more, IMHO.

FWIW, I hate this NCAA emphasis because it gives the "blue bloods" an even greater advantage than they already enjoyed because they always have had the topmost talent. They didn't need any greater advantage. Esthetics be damned!

 

[73CAV]

The BE still exists as a hoops conference, albeit reconstituted. Many New England, New York and Philly kids aren't ACC fans and have very little interest in playing in the ACC. Boeheim wasn't pleased with Cuse moving to the ACC either.

The ACC is great for Pitt football and for overall athletic department revenues but it isn't and won't be good for Pitt basketball, IMO. We will never be able to contend for a league championship like we did in the BE.

ACC schools have been recruiting New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New England for a long, long time, and they've been quite successful doing so. Furthermore, the world is shrinking rapidly. A successful program cannot limit itself to recruiting a single state or even a single region. At this time, UVa has eleven scholarship basketball players. There are one each from Virginia, Indiana, New York, Georgia, New Zealand, Guinea, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Italy. Additionally, missing from last year's team are players from California, Tennessee (actually two), and Canada. I am unsure that any program can survive focusing on a specific recruiting territory. I don't think any of Pitt's recruiting woes can be blamed on joining the ACC.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The BE still exists as a hoops conference, albeit reconstituted. Many New England, New York and Philly kids aren't ACC fans and have very little interest in playing in the ACC. Boeheim wasn't pleased with Cuse moving to the ACC either.

The ACC is great for Pitt football and for overall athletic department revenues but it isn't and won't be good for Pitt basketball, IMO. We will never be able to contend for a league championship like we did in the BE.

ACC schools have been recruiting New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New England for a long, long time, and they've been quite successful doing so. Furthermore, the world is shrinking rapidly. A successful program cannot limit itself to recruiting a single state or even a single region. At this time, UVa has eleven scholarship basketball players. There are one each from Virginia, Indiana, New York, Georgia, New Zealand, Guinea, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Italy. Additionally, missing from last year's team are players from California, Tennessee (actually two), and Canada. I am unsure that any program can survive focusing on a specific recruiting territory. I don't think any of Pitt's recruiting woes can be blamed on joining the ACC.

You mean the lack of local bball talent in Charlottesville, VA hasnt limited UVa's recruiting? I've been told you can only recruit well if there is a plethora of local basketball talent or your conference tournament is at MSG. Everyone else is doomed.

 

[Haydman]

ACC schools have been recruiting New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New England for a long, long time, and they've been quite successful doing so. Furthermore, the world is shrinking rapidly. A successful program cannot limit itself to recruiting a single state or even a single region. At this time, UVa has eleven scholarship basketball players. There are one each from Virginia, Indiana, New York, Georgia, New Zealand, Guinea, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Italy. Additionally, missing from last year's team are players from California, Tennessee (actually two), and Canada. I am unsure that any program can survive focusing on a specific recruiting territory. I don't think any of Pitt's recruiting woes can be blamed on joining the ACC.

Thanks for the breakdown Cav. I agree with you that how UVA recruits needs to be the blueprint that Pitt should be striving for.

I will disagree with you on the notion that the move to the ACC wouldn't affect a team like Pitt. When Pitt had it's best teams how many of those kids came from NY, NJ or the north east? I think there was a solid recruiting game plan on selling kids the MSG and Big East vision. Shifting to an entirely new strategy can be easier said than done. With UVA being a long time member they never had to change recruiting strategies so it might be hard to use them as an immediate comparison. Also doesn't hurt that they found a great recruiter and coach in Bennett

 

[73CAV]

Thanks for the breakdown Cav. I agree with you that how UVA recruits needs to be the blueprint that Pitt should be striving for.

I will disagree with you on the notion that the move to the ACC wouldn't affect a team like Pitt. When Pitt had it's best teams how many of those kids came from NY, NJ or the north east? I think there was a solid recruiting game plan on selling kids the MSG and Big East vision. Shifting to an entirely new strategy can be easier said than done. With UVA being a long time member they never had to change recruiting strategies so it might be hard to use them as an immediate comparison. Also doesn't hurt that they found a great recruiter and coach in Bennett

Your position does beg the question, though, "At the same time Pitt was successfully recruiting those areas, how did so many of teams from the ACC recruit New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania so well?" Even today, other ACC programs sign talent from the mid Atlantic. I imagine something else has changed. If nothing more, it has been suggested that the New York City area isn't producing the same quantity of collegiate prospects as it once did, and many of the those it does produce now choose to attend one of the prep basketball mills scattered around the country, which compounds matters more. Additionally, if you want to identify two major elements of change to prep recruiting, you have to look no further the evolution of the AAU and its relationship with the various shoe companies.

 

[Jpripper88]

Thanks for the breakdown Cav. I agree with you that how UVA recruits needs to be the blueprint that Pitt should be striving for.

I will disagree with you on the notion that the move to the ACC wouldn't affect a team like Pitt. When Pitt had it's best teams how many of those kids came from NY, NJ or the north east? I think there was a solid recruiting game plan on selling kids the MSG and Big East vision. Shifting to an entirely new strategy can be easier said than done. With UVA being a long time member they never had to change recruiting strategies so it might be hard to use them as an immediate comparison. Also doesn't hurt that they found a great recruiter and coach in Bennett

Except UVA has changed their strategy, focus, and vision. It changes with the coach in charge. They found a good coach. Heck, they even play a pretty similar type of ball to our successful teams. Plus, UVA was never an ACC member with the blue blood advantage, so that longtime ACC alignment isn't the difference.