Should P6 programs recruit HS players anymore?

[Sean Miller Fan]

If you watch the NCAA Tournament, you notice that its mostly all upperclassmen and graduates. Very few freshmen. Not even a lot of sophomores. The reality is that a 22-23 year old mid-major player is simply better than your typical P6-level freshman. In the past, you would see freshmen making big contributions either as starters or bench players. That's just not the case anymore. When a reporter asked Boeheim why they didnt use the portal, his reply was that they couldn't because they had HS kids signed but said it almost regrettably.

I think now, your mid-majors will be the new JUCOs. As P6 programs take fewer HS players, mid-majors will get better recruits but when they get good, they will transfer up. So for a P6, you are getting that kid at 20 or 21 instead of 18 and you can better assess his skill level.

If I'm Pitt, I'd probably only take HS kids ranked in the Top 100-125 and maybe not more than 2. The rest have to be from the portal.

 

[tetonpanther]

Great minds think alike!

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

We won’t get the most desirable freshmen…they’ll go to blue bloods.

We shouldn’t want the less desirable freshmen that might otherwise be glad to come to us.

So by definition, we should be doing very little freshmen recruiting in coming years.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

We won’t get the most desirable freshmen…they’ll go to blue bloods.

We shouldn’t want the less desirable freshmen that might otherwise be glad to come to us.

So by definition, we should be doing very little freshmen recruiting in coming years.

Right. Duquesne recruiting classes are going to get really good soon. Maybe we can set up a partnership with them. Train there for 2 years and then come to Pitt.

 

[Pitt2009]

Freshman Guillermo Diaz Graham played a major role in our NCAA Tournament success. Does that answer your question?

 

[CaptainMurphy]

You still recruit HS guys at the P6 level but you mainly stick to higher end prospects who can come in and be major contributors from the start, even off the bench. Gone are the days of taking on guys who need a year or two of work before they even see significant playing time. Those spots are better served by transfers. You can pick those project recruits back up after they’ve spent a few years at a lower level.

It kind of sucks for non P6 schools in the fact that they constantly be losing their best talent. At the same time they should be seeing better HS recruits. Imperative they have the ability to coach them up fast.

 

[upj87]

Rome fell when their armies relied upon mostly mercenaries and not Romans anymore...

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

You still recruit HS guys at the P6 level but you mainly stick to higher end prospects who can come in and be major contributors from the start, even off the bench. Gone are the days of taking on guys who need a year or two of work before they even see significant playing time. Those spots are better served by transfers. You can pick those project recruits back up after they’ve spent a few years at a lower level.

It kind of sucks for non P6 schools in the fact that they constantly be losing their best talent. At the same time they should be seeing better HS recruits. Imperative they have the ability to coach them up fast.

It stinks for HS recruits as now they'll have to go spend a couple years in the A10 or AAC before being able to play at the level they would have been able to play at if this were 2018.

 

[Pitt79]

And if you get good freshmen, the fear is they leave in a year or two. Imagine how it would suck if the twins or Fede really stepped up and then where suddenly at Kentucky or UNC or anywhere but Pitt.

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

And if you get good freshmen, the fear is they leave in a year or two. Imagine how it would suck if the twins or Fede really stepped up and then where suddenly at Kentucky or UNC or anywhere but Pitt.

Arrests … injuries … arrests with injuries … injuries with arrests …. etc etc are very likely in the long hot summer coming up … “you never know” what bigger program with much, much more money might suffer n’er-do-wells among their current players before the next season tips off, and decide they would need one or more of our returning guys.

Maybe not our particular returning guys, as they each have some flaws … but year in and out, we will need to hold our breaths for 8 months as much as many other programs.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Having Champagnie around sucked. Can't make that mistake twice.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Great minds think alike!

You and SMF too, apparently.