In the last two years, JD has been able to sign three high school players - Luther, Johnson and Wilson. Luther and Johnson were recognized as developmental players, Wilson as a kid who might be an early contributor and someone they were counting on to be at least a solid contributor as a starter or top 7 guy.
They struck out badly on a lot of other prep recruits during that period and have had to scramble around for fifth year players, JC players like Haughton and guys who were sort of out in the wind, some that they managed to get on board like euchebo and randle and others like Mostella who seemed just within grasp but never made it, and for those that did make it outside of jeter, they have mostly been marginal guys.
SO ... They really, REALLY, R E A L L Y need to get the normal recruit and develop cycle back on track with this class. They need four solid preps, who will qualify, get on campus, help to supplment Young, Artis and Jones in their senior seasons (hopefully) and be the core for the next team.
More so than the past few years, they appeared to have a solid plan this go around. With a solid big man in hand in Maginault, they had some bigger fish they wanted to take a shot at - Winston, Moore and Stevens, then their fall back kids in Kithcart and White. They set up things to try to get the bigger fish then have those two ready to fall back to.
Things did not get off to a great start when Stephens bailed just before the first big official visit. They made a good run at a long shot in Winston, things seemed to not come together for Moore and then had the big weekend with Maginault, Kithcart and White visiting.
A big relief when they broke the dry period by getting Kithcart to commit, and we all got our hopes up with the report that their effort to close with White might have been successful.
Now, who knows what all else might be out there, but the obvious concern is that JD NEVER has had any luck getting in late on kids and beating out any real competition for a prep kid. SO, with the Novemember deadline about 6 weeks out, they seem to have run through a lot of their options to get even a solid kid in this class to supplement Maginault and Kithcart.
NOW, something could happen in the spring, but again, there isnt much of a track record of JD winning those spring battles, either.
Some good comments last night, each "loss' seems to have its own particular rationalization, but in the end, they add up.
I always said they were 99% drawing dead on Winston and you just can't hold that against them, and it didn't drag out long enough to leave them with no other options.
I don't think it is acceptable if they wanted White to lose him to Providence regardless of their ties to his AAU program, and it is agitating to me that a big man they really seemed in interested in that fit their type of profile of big men they have been successful with in Marfo cut them out for what he has in his final five, and you also have a guy like Powell who they had all kinds of ties with going to fricken Seton Hall.
Not breaking through on Stephens is one thing, but they have to win THOSE kinds of battles.
Still time, and a guy like Iran Bennett or Devearl Ramsey, if that were to play out, would be a solid additions.
But, it has been more bad than good to this point, with them having to find a way to get the kind of solid prep class they so desperately need this go around.
They struck out badly on a lot of other prep recruits during that period and have had to scramble around for fifth year players, JC players like Haughton and guys who were sort of out in the wind, some that they managed to get on board like euchebo and randle and others like Mostella who seemed just within grasp but never made it, and for those that did make it outside of jeter, they have mostly been marginal guys.
SO ... They really, REALLY, R E A L L Y need to get the normal recruit and develop cycle back on track with this class. They need four solid preps, who will qualify, get on campus, help to supplment Young, Artis and Jones in their senior seasons (hopefully) and be the core for the next team.
More so than the past few years, they appeared to have a solid plan this go around. With a solid big man in hand in Maginault, they had some bigger fish they wanted to take a shot at - Winston, Moore and Stevens, then their fall back kids in Kithcart and White. They set up things to try to get the bigger fish then have those two ready to fall back to.
Things did not get off to a great start when Stephens bailed just before the first big official visit. They made a good run at a long shot in Winston, things seemed to not come together for Moore and then had the big weekend with Maginault, Kithcart and White visiting.
A big relief when they broke the dry period by getting Kithcart to commit, and we all got our hopes up with the report that their effort to close with White might have been successful.
Now, who knows what all else might be out there, but the obvious concern is that JD NEVER has had any luck getting in late on kids and beating out any real competition for a prep kid. SO, with the Novemember deadline about 6 weeks out, they seem to have run through a lot of their options to get even a solid kid in this class to supplement Maginault and Kithcart.
NOW, something could happen in the spring, but again, there isnt much of a track record of JD winning those spring battles, either.
Some good comments last night, each "loss' seems to have its own particular rationalization, but in the end, they add up.
I always said they were 99% drawing dead on Winston and you just can't hold that against them, and it didn't drag out long enough to leave them with no other options.
I don't think it is acceptable if they wanted White to lose him to Providence regardless of their ties to his AAU program, and it is agitating to me that a big man they really seemed in interested in that fit their type of profile of big men they have been successful with in Marfo cut them out for what he has in his final five, and you also have a guy like Powell who they had all kinds of ties with going to fricken Seton Hall.
Not breaking through on Stephens is one thing, but they have to win THOSE kinds of battles.
Still time, and a guy like Iran Bennett or Devearl Ramsey, if that were to play out, would be a solid additions.
But, it has been more bad than good to this point, with them having to find a way to get the kind of solid prep class they so desperately need this go around.
