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Samson George commits

I agree nice late pick up! I like that some of the new recruits are there with him as well. It looks like out of the ashes might come some new team chemistry with the new players. I know next year will be tough but at least it will be interesting if the new players can come together and play competitive basketball and set up 2018.
 
When I googled Samson this is all that I could find?

We'll have to get him some shoes, a shirt, maybe a trim haircut and some new shorts but he looks good?
Nice add!
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Welcome aboard. Like the athleticism he shows in his video. We'll see if he can develop an all around game but seems like a decent good add considering the late timing.
 
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Too early to come to that conclusion. We'll find their caliber out next season. We already knew what caliber was here and now gone.
 
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We need a full team, and at least we're getting there with this recent signee..
While wondering how good they'll be, ask yourself if this 2017 team
in an actual game could beat the guys who left and were SUPPOSED be coming back..........
Wilson, Kithcart, Manigault, Nix, Clarke,and Johnson. I'd actually pay to see
that outcome LOL. By the way, Luther and Milligan play with the 2017 team in this scenario.
Any thoughts on this?
 
We need a full team, and at least we're getting there with this recent signee..
While wondering how good they'll be, ask yourself if this 2017 team
in an actual game could beat the guys who left and were SUPPOSED be coming back..........
Wilson, Kithcart, Manigault, Nix, Clarke,and Johnson. I'd actually pay to see
that outcome LOL. By the way, Luther and Milligan play with the 2017 team in this scenario.
Any thoughts on this?
I'm taking the new guys.
 
No, no, no..... you see Pitt wasn't even going to be able to run practices because they couldn't even field a team. Typical overreaction by a bunch of chicken littles.

Gutting the previous roster was a necessary new start. I'm actually interested in watching this team.
I think the reaction was based on the Stallers assertion that absolutely nobody is available after April 15 or so.
 
I think the reaction was based on the Stallers assertion that absolutely nobody is available after April 15 or so.


Actually there are people here who are applauding these late signings who told us all that as of the time that Stallings was hired last season (late March) that players out there who could help Pitt "didn't exist". It's funny to see some of those same people working so hard to convince everyone that guys we are signing in June who have a composite ranking in the mid-200s are really going to help the team get better.
 
Actually there are people here who are applauding these late signings who told us all that as of the time that Stallings was hired last season (late March) that players out there who could help Pitt "didn't exist". It's funny to see some of those same people working so hard to convince everyone that guys we are signing in June who have a composite ranking in the mid-200s are really going to help the team get better.
Weird, eh?
 
From the strange coincidence file, my daughter just attended a birthday party for a young Tongan boy named Samson. I never come across that name, then boom twice in a week. Aside from that, we should be recruiting Tonga harder. Every other guy at the party was Gary McGhee, aside of me of course.
 
Actually there are people here who are applauding these late signings who told us all that as of the time that Stallings was hired last season (late March) that players out there who could help Pitt "didn't exist". It's funny to see some of those same people working so hard to convince everyone that guys we are signing in June who have a composite ranking in the mid-200s are really going to help the team get better.

That's the key. Are any of the players signed by Stallings going to help? I'm not saying Pitt must get top 10 and top 25 guys right now. We're not going to do that. But when we're signing guys and the top ranking is a borderline top 100 guy, it's not a good sign. And that's only one guy. The rest are top 200 or below.

Stallings better pick up his recruiting big time for 2018 and bring in a top 20 class. If he doesn't, he should be gonzo.
 
Actually there are people here who are applauding these late signings who told us all that as of the time that Stallings was hired last season (late March) that players out there who could help Pitt "didn't exist". It's funny to see some of those same people working so hard to convince everyone that guys we are signing in June who have a composite ranking in the mid-200s are really going to help the team get better.
Wasn't me chief. First they won't have a roster, and now they aren't good enough. The guys they had weren't good enough either. I'll take my chances with the unknown rather than the known.
 
Wasn't me chief.


I never said it was you. But there are people posting on this board who bitched and moaned when the former coach brought in some guy ranked 100 or 120 or whatever who are trying to convince everyone that signing a guy who was ranked around 240 last week was a really good get. There are guys who justified Stallings not bringing in anyone new last year because he was hired in late March and once you get to late March there are literally no players left who could possibly help Pitt at all who are now talking up guys who we are recruiting in late June.

It's just interesting the way some people's perspectives have completely changed in such a (relatively) short period of time.
 
First they won't have a roster, and now they aren't good enough.


By the way, you understand that both of those things could be true, right? I mean surely you agree that not having more than six or seven players would have been a problem, and surely you understand that if you fill a bunch of spots with guys who can't play at this level that it doesn't actually help the situation, right?

I'm not saying that any of these guys can or can't play. I've never seen any of them play, so I admit that I have no idea how good any of them may or may not be. But if we can't agree that filling up a roster with guys that it turns out can't play at this level isn't really any better than not having guys at all then I have no idea how you can have a coherent conversation.
 
For all we know, as a group, the recruits that Stallings brought in may be RMU-level or below. I know they're not ACC level. Not that RMU is a bad program. But they'd get slaughtered in the ACC against most teams.
 
Recruiting falls on Stallings, period. He gets a partial pass for the first year, but it's still mostly on him that he brought in those stiffs that Dixon recruited.

How did we get here? A team with 4 seniors and two classes (6 players) of limited ability. I don't care what number they were ranked, because I saw them play. That's 10 guys.

Where are we at? He signed what looks to be a mediocre class based on rankings. I am not a stars / rankings don't matter guy. However, I'm not that sure there's that much difference between 100, 150, or 200. Some coaches have a better eye than others, and that's why I'm putting part of last years class on Stallings. He either didn't see they weren't good enough or was too lazy / incapable of finding replacements.

I have no problem with the late recruits after the roster was blown up. They will either show they have it, or they will get recruited over. I'll be more interested in what the early signings show and how 2018 recruited progresses.

My opinion from the start has been that this team was in a bad spot with respect to the roster. Anyone who couldn't see that last season was blind. This year was a throw away no matter who was coaching.
 
Recruiting falls on Stallings, period. He gets a partial pass for the first year, but it's still mostly on him that he brought in those stiffs that Dixon recruited.

How did we get here? A team with 4 seniors and two classes (6 players) of limited ability. I don't care what number they were ranked, because I saw them play. That's 10 guys.

Where are we at? He signed what looks to be a mediocre class based on rankings. I am not a stars / rankings don't matter guy. However, I'm not that sure there's that much difference between 100, 150, or 200. Some coaches have a better eye than others, and that's why I'm putting part of last years class on Stallings. He either didn't see they weren't good enough or was too lazy / incapable of finding replacements.

I have no problem with the late recruits after the roster was blown up. They will either show they have it, or they will get recruited over. I'll be more interested in what the early signings show and how 2018 recruited progresses.

My opinion from the start has been that this team was in a bad spot with respect to the roster. Anyone who couldn't see that last season was blind. This year was a throw away no matter who was coaching.
Good post Gunga, couldn't have said it any better.

Particularly agree with the notion that there's often not much difference between a 100, 150 or 200 ranked kid. You really don't know what you're getting until you seem them play so what's the point of complaining now. We sure have a good bit of firsthand experience to indicate that ranking doesn't guarantee anything.
 
Any chance we can get the last five posters to sit around in a circle and drink some special Kool-Aid now that JD is gone and not coming back? Isn't that was 'those people' usually do?
Who mentioned Jamie, aside from you? You just can't let him go.
 
Good post Gunga, couldn't have said it any better.

Particularly agree with the notion that there's often not much difference between a 100, 150 or 200 ranked kid. You really don't know what you're getting until you seem them play so what's the point of complaining now. We sure have a good bit of firsthand experience to indicate that ranking doesn't guarantee anything.
Funny, that's the same response I gave you when you bitched about Dixon's recruiting. I only mention him since balls on fire brought him up.
 
That's the key. Are any of the players signed by Stallings going to help? I'm not saying Pitt must get top 10 and top 25 guys right now. We're not going to do that. But when we're signing guys and the top ranking is a borderline top 100 guy, it's not a good sign. And that's only one guy. The rest are top 200 or below.

Stallings better pick up his recruiting big time for 2018 and bring in a top 20 class. If he doesn't, he should be gonzo.

He's off to a promising start with Golden. Now go after the big from Harrisburg. Hopefully we can be more selective now that a base is in place.
 
Players have to fit the system regardless of rank. As talented at Young and Artis were even Jamie had problems with them. Im assuming Stallings thought last years recruits would fit in and be a foundation for his new system. It didnt work out and everyone moved on. Regardless of recruiting rankings he has to find kids who fit his system and buy into his style of coaching or he won't succeed
 
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Players have to fit the system regardless of rank. As talented at Young and Artis were even Jamie had problems with them. Im assuming Stallings thought last years recruits would fit in and be a foundation for his new system. It didnt work out and everyone moved on. Regardless of recruiting rankings he has to find kids who fit his system and buy into his style of coaching or he won't succeed

I am sorry, there is no room for any positive thoughts. None. We need to just bow our heads in shame, Jamie is gone. We are doomed forever. Jamie is gone. Jamie is gone. Woe is me.
 
What is the end goal for the Dixon dead-enders at this point? The guy is gone. He's never coming back.
 
What is the end goal for the Dixon dead-enders at this point? The guy is gone. He's never coming back.

To complain and bitch in every single thread about anything and everything.

And believe me, I am not happy with Stallings overall so far but good lord it is tiresome to read it in every single thread about every single topic.
 
Players have to fit the system regardless of rank. As talented at Young and Artis were even Jamie had problems with them. Im assuming Stallings thought last years recruits would fit in and be a foundation for his new system. It didnt work out and everyone moved on. Regardless of recruiting rankings he has to find kids who fit his system and buy into his style of coaching or he won't succeed
I agree completely with this statement but I think it would be more relevant with a younger coach. KS was at Vandy a loooong time so he definitely had opportunity to recruit kids to fit his system. If that's the case why didn't he make the tourney or finish stronger in the SEC?

I bring this up because track record should give you some insight into what to expect. Is it written in stone? No. But many (not necessarily you Dawg) really discount this piece.
 
Actually there are people here who are applauding these late signings who told us all that as of the time that Stallings was hired last season (late March) that players out there who could help Pitt "didn't exist". It's funny to see some of those same people working so hard to convince everyone that guys we are signing in June who have a composite ranking in the mid-200s are really going to help the team get better.

So you are advocating is that what Stallings should have done last April was to purge the roster and renege on the scholarship offers to Manigault and Kithcart? Clean out the bench before he had even seen these guys play? I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. Stallings inherited a collection of garbage from a recruiting challenged micro manager and he's replaced those players with questions marks who I'd wager are at least as good as the guys who left. And for the record again, I'm no Stallings apologist.....just watching and waiting for evidence to support your and others negative projections. A lot of us just have a wait and see attitude at the moment.
 
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So you are advocating is that what Stallings should have done last April was to purge the roster and renege on the scholarship offers to Manigault and Kithcart? Clean out the bench before he had even seen these guys play? I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. Stallings inherited a collection of garbage from a recruiting challenged micro manager and he's replaced those players with questions marks who I'd wager are at least as good as the guys who left. And for the record again, I'm no Stallings apologist.....just watching and waiting for evidence to support your and others negative projections. A lot of us just have a wait and see attitude at the moment.


Mostly agree.

One thing Stallings does/did deserve criticism for last season was not bringing in a PG specifically a grad transfer PG that could run the team. Now, I know All American PG's don't grow on trees and a good grad transfer PG would be in demand but that was a glaring hole and he did not address it. Maybe he thought Kithcart could actually play and was counting on him more, maybe he really thought Artis could handle it, maybe he thought Wilson could actually play, etc... But he did not address the glaring PG hole with returning players or with a new player like a grad transfer. To me that was the biggest downfall of last years team.
 
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