(2017) PF Billy Preston to Kansas

[Brass Cannon 24,271]

2 minutes ago, TheGies said:

Question - Is Indiana the "dad" of college basketball? Telling them how to improve, focusing on academics, Crean has developed these kinds of relationships with recruits/players. Not saying its a bad thing (its a good thing) but for 5* guys, they likely want to hear how you're going to get them to the NBA.....and likely not much else.

Nova just won a title with averaging around a Top 30 class the last 5 years and we also beat the one and factory because we were the better team. We're just not geared to get high-level 5* star guys right now and that's probably fine. We should get one or two every few years but I would expect more of the same as far as recruiting classes go unless something drastically changes with the recruiting approach and what IUBB values.

If thats the case we need to stop recruiting so many of the 5 stars and target more 4 stars so that we have backup options.  Because now we are in a situation where if we miss on Wilkes and Preston we got nothing. 

[Chips&Dipo 1,464]

1 minute ago, Brass Cannon said:

If thats the case we need to stop recruiting so many of the 5 stars and target more 4 stars so that we have backup options.  Because now we are in a situation where if we miss on Wilkes and Preston we got nothing. 

It's a catch 22 though. If Crean stopped recruiting 5* (especially in state) the fan base would go mad.

[Stuhoo 79,777]

18 minutes ago, Brass Cannon said:

If thats the case we need to stop recruiting so many of the 5 stars and target more 4 stars so that we have backup options.  Because now we are in a situation where if we miss on Wilkes and Preston we got nothing. 

 

If, by nothing, you mean two four star players and possibly a third four star (Beatty), plus one three star recruit.

 

[Uspshoosier 45,157]

If thats the case we need to stop recruiting so many of the 5 stars and target more 4 stars so that we have backup options.  Because now we are in a situation where if we miss on Wilkes and Preston we got nothing. 

Someone could argue the smith (4 star) was a backup option to Wilkes and since we started recruiting Preston late in the process that he was a backup option to bamba or Richards


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[Brass Cannon 24,271]

4 minutes ago, Uspshoosier said:

Someone could argue the smith (4 star) was a backup option to Wilkes and since we started recruiting Preston late in the process that he was a backup option to bamba or Richards


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I doubt Preston is a backup more like an opportune development.  And if Smith was a backup plan for Wilkes then we either have been out of it for awhile or we wouldn't have taken his commitment. 

[Uspshoosier 45,157]

I doubt Preston is a backup more like an opportune development.  And if Smith was a backup plan for Wilkes then we either have been out of it for awhile or we wouldn't have taken his commitment. 

http://www.crimsonquarry.com/2016/9/13/12910502/billy-preston-lists-iu-in-his-final-5
I would say it's hard to find a backup plan for a guy that wasn't even on IU's radar a little over a month ago. All of the recruiting boards for IU before September 13 didn't have his name on any of them. I would assume when u dealing with 2 talented players for the same position u take both commitments and deal with it later. When Blackmon decommitted, the staff focused on and closed the deal on another top 50 shooting guard in Johnson. They still went after Blackmon hard and landed him as well. Most scouting service experts said at the time iu landed the 2 best shooters of the class


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[Brass Cannon 24,271]

19 minutes ago, Uspshoosier said:

http://www.crimsonquarry.com/2016/9/13/12910502/billy-preston-lists-iu-in-his-final-5
I would say it's hard to find a backup plan for a guy that wasn't even on IU's radar a little over a month ago. All of the recruiting boards for IU before September 13 didn't have his name on any of them. I would assume when u dealing with 2 talented players for the same position u take both commitments and deal with it later. When Blackmon decommitted, the staff focused on and closed the deal on another top 50 shooting guard in Johnson. They still went after Blackmon hard and landed him as well. Most scouting service experts said at the time iu landed the 2 best shooters of the class


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Im not really sure why you bring up Rojo since he wasn't a backup plan.  His decommitt simply changed priorities.  A backup plan is when you have lost the player you are wanting and have to look down your list at who we still have left to target. 

If Crean was always willing to take Smith and Wilkes then Smith isn't a backup plan.

[Uspshoosier 45,157]

Im not really sure why you bring up Rojo since he wasn't a backup plan.  His decommitt simply changed priorities.  A backup plan is when you have lost the player you are wanting and have to look down your list at who we still have left to target. 

If Crean was always willing to take Smith and Wilkes then Smith isn't a backup plan.

That's your definition of a backup plan not every bodies


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[Brass Cannon 24,271]

4 minutes ago, Uspshoosier said:

That's your definition of a backup plan not every bodies


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No thats pretty much the definition.  A back up plan is something you undertake when the original plan fails.  Taking Smiths commitment tells us that either A) Indiana is pretty sure we aren't getting Wilkes, thus Smith is a back up plan or B) Crean was always willing to sign both.

 

[Uspshoosier 45,157]

No thats pretty much the definition.  A back up plan is something you undertake when the original plan fails.  Taking Smiths commitment tells us that either A) Indiana is pretty sure we aren't getting Wilkes, thus Smith is a back up plan or B) Crean was always willing to sign both.

 

It tells me they took a commitment from a small forward (smith) that was lower on their board then their top targeted small forward (Wilkes) so they had a back up plan in place but I'm done with this conversation and going to talk about Preston and how if we miss out on him people will talk about not having a back up plan in place for not landing a guy we just seriously started recruiting last month when Kansas and USC has been there since the beginning


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[WayneFleekHoosier 47,969]

On this backup plan talk in regards to Preston. He isn't a backup plan guy in the sense he is a 5 star. Circumstances changed and we are trying to take advantage.

However, we were targeting Bamba, Richards, Gak and maybe a few others as our primary big man targets. We didn't seem to be able to get in the door with our "primary" 1st targets.

Thus Preston pops on the scene after our initial plan failed.

So yes, he isn't your typical backup plan guy in the sense of talent but he clearly is in the sense of recruiting timing.

We have missed our primary target at each position save Wilkes, which is TBD.


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[HoosierAloha 30,024]

2 hours ago, TheGies said:

Question - Is Indiana the "dad" of college basketball? Telling them how to improve, focusing on academics, Crean has developed these kinds of relationships with recruits/players. Not saying its a bad thing (its a good thing) but for 5* guys, they likely want to hear how you're going to get them to the NBA.....and likely not much else.

Nova just won a title with averaging around a Top 30 class the last 5 years and we also beat the one and factory because we were the better team. We're just not geared to get high-level 5* star guys right now and that's probably fine. We should get one or two every few years but I would expect more of the same as far as recruiting classes go unless something drastically changes with the recruiting approach and what IUBB values.

Crean and staff landed a 5* from 2011 thru 2015.  De'Ron Davis was also a high end talent for most of his prep career.  I don't understand the thought of us not being geared to get a high-level 5* recruit.  If Crean and Staff are not landing players because they're not willing to cheat I am more than fine with that.  We were in it down to the wire with a high 4* PG in Waters.  We're right in it with Wilkes as well.  We are in consideration for Preston.  You keep recruiting and you'll land some.  I'm more than okay with that.

[BGleas 7,880]

3 hours ago, TheGies said:

Question - Is Indiana the "dad" of college basketball? Telling them how to improve, focusing on academics, Crean has developed these kinds of relationships with recruits/players. Not saying its a bad thing (its a good thing) but for 5* guys, they likely want to hear how you're going to get them to the NBA.....and likely not much else.

Nova just won a title with averaging around a Top 30 class the last 5 years and we also beat the one and factory because we were the better team. We're just not geared to get high-level 5* star guys right now and that's probably fine. We should get one or two every few years but I would expect more of the same as far as recruiting classes go unless something drastically changes with the recruiting approach and what IUBB values.

Isn't telling them how you're going to improve their game the same thing as telling them how you're going to get them to the NBA? Granted we haven't landed most of them, but I've heard numerous 5* recruits talk about how refreshing it is to hear Crean telling them how to improve and what to get better at, and I'm fairly certain Crean does it under the lens of "how you can get to the next level". 

Does the academic part work in that? Maybe not. But Crean is certainly pitching to these guys IU's player development system in terms of getting guys to the NBA. 

[Brass Cannon 24,271]

I think the problem is that we are landing 1 5 star a year when really to be next level we need to have three or so 5 star talents on a team and surround them with 4 star quality role players.  And in the current environment its very rare to get 3 on a team if you are only getting 1 a year. 

That was the key to our season 2012-2013 season.  We had Yogi, Oladipo and Zeller then quality role players.  Cody and Yogi played like the 5 stars they were, and Oladipo developed into one. 

We MIGHT have that this year if OG develops into one and JBJ can play like one still. 

I think that might be why people are so concerned with us not landing 5 stars.  Especially considering we landed 1 a class for 4 years, but have a very real chance to whiff 2 years in a row and not have any on roster next year. 

[Crimson and Cream 5,782]

1 hour ago, Brass Cannon said:

I think the problem is that we are landing 1 5 star a year when really to be next level we need to have three or so 5 star talents on a team and surround them with 4 star quality role players.  And in the current environment its very rare to get 3 on a team if you are only getting 1 a year. 

That was the key to our season 2012-2013 season.  We had Yogi, Oladipo and Zeller then quality role players.  Cody and Yogi played like the 5 stars they were, and Oladipo developed into one. 

We MIGHT have that this year if OG develops into one and JBJ can play like one still. 

I think that might be why people are so concerned with us not landing 5 stars.  Especially considering we landed 1 a class for 4 years, but have a very real chance to whiff 2 years in a row and not have any on roster next year. 

But isn't that exactly what we have now? The two 5 stars in Thomas and JBJ and then one who's developed into one (OG), and then surrounded by 4 and 3 stars.

[Brass Cannon 24,271]

50 minutes ago, Crimson and Cream said:

But isn't that exactly what we have now? The two 5 stars in Thomas and JBJ and then one who's developed into one (OG), and then surrounded by 4 and 3 stars.

I said we had that this year. It's next year people are worried about. 

[Crimson and Cream 5,782]

6 minutes ago, Brass Cannon said:

I said we had that this year. It's next year people are worried about. 

Somehow I managed to skip that line, my apologies. Yes, next year would be the concern if they all 3 leave and we don't bring in Wilkes, Preston, or both.

[Walking Boot of Doom 18,170]

5 minutes ago, Brass Cannon said:

I said we had that this year. It's next year people are worried about. 

I think people are overlooking that we should have a redshirt senior in Newkirk, a senior RoJo, a senior Freddie McSwain, a junior Juwan Morgan. We'll have some real serious leadership and experience, plus we'll see how our freshman play in their sophomore years!

[IUsince1980 315]

Whats the overall feel on actually landing this kid?

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[Class of '66 Old Fart 84,015]

4 minutes ago, IUsince1980 said:

Whats the overall feel on actually landing this kid?

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IMO we're #3 on the list and therefore doubtful.  Although I have some concerns about how he'll mesh with other players, he's a heckuva ballplayer and we could certainly use him on the court next year.