Ansley joins Alabama's staff

[RammerJammer91_rivals23256]

Poythress and Wiltjer really did not sit on the bench. Wiltjer may have predicted the bench for himself, but that probably was from a lack of confidence. Poythress was benched by injury. But, the guy was poised to be a leader last year on one of the deepest teams of talent in UK history. If you follow recruiting, you know Marcus Lee came to UK as a bench player behind more experienced talent. Without assuming your intention, your premise behind those guys seems flawed.

My point is that I don't believe it's a bad thing when coaches in football and basketball "recruit-over" players. And when I say "recruit-over", I mean with the intention of building depth to strengthen the team. As we all know, injuries do happen and it's nice to have depth. You can never have too much talent. I think it's great that football programs like LSU, Ohio State, FSU, Bama, etc., have blue-chip prospects that provide quality depth and strengthen the team. I think it's a great thing in basketball, too. Just look at UK. They have 5-star and high 4-star players that come off the bench. That is one of the main reasons why they have made deep runs in the tournament under Cal, especially over the last 3 years. I don't get why people act like Cal is the devil for stocking his roster with talent. Same with Jimbo Fisher, Urban Meyer, and Nick Saban.

Jauk points out the "recruiting-over" with certain football programs, but he seems to think it might be a negative when it comes to recruiting players to join stacked rosters. He's a very intelligent poster, and is also consistent. Because he is consistent and not a hypocrite, I assume he feels the same way about basketball programs that load up (Duke, UK, Kansas, etc.). I just find that to be interesting. Isn't it the job of a HC to make sure that their roster is as talented as possible? In-game coaching is only part of what wins. You need talent as well.

 

[Beatle Bum]

Cal has had a couple of deep teams, but he also recruits with the understanding that he may have not much more than a 7-8 man rotation.

Regardless of what Cal does or does not, I get your point. Seems the analogy was one to catch hypocrisy, rather than make a point. I think your point stands without the basketball reference. Recruiting to the two is very different.

 

[Comebakatz3]

My point is that I don't believe it's a bad thing when coaches in football and basketball "recruit-over" players. And when I say "recruit-over", I mean with the intention of building depth to strengthen the team. As we all know, injuries do happen and it's nice to have depth. You can never have too much talent. I think it's great that football programs like LSU, Ohio State, FSU, Bama, etc., have blue-chip prospects that provide quality depth and strengthen the team. I think it's a great thing in basketball, too. Just look at UK. They have 5-star and high 4-star players that come off the bench. That is one of the main reasons why they have made deep runs in the tournament under Cal, especially over the last 3 years. I don't get why people act like Cal is the devil for stocking his roster with talent. Same with Jimbo Fisher, Urban Meyer, and Nick Saban.

Jauk points out the "recruiting-over" with certain football programs, but he seems to think it might be a negative when it comes to recruiting players to join stacked rosters. He's a very intelligent poster, and is also consistent. Because he is consistent and not a hypocrite, I assume he feels the same way about basketball programs that load up (Duke, UK, Kansas, etc.). I just find that to be interesting. Isn't it the job of a HC to make sure that their roster is as talented as possible? In-game coaching is only part of what wins. You need talent as well.

It seems a bit different with basketball. I think it is the turnover rate. You have some guys that are going to come in and be an immediate impact (Karl Anthony Towns) and you have others (Marcus Lee, WCS) that have to wait longer. WCS came in as a 4 star guy that played a pretty big role every year. He left UK as an All American and was drafted 6th overall. Marcus Lee has struggled at times, but he played in every game last year and this year was really finally his time to shine. He's played in all 23 games and could have paired extremely well with Skal had they both panned out. In most instances in basketball the guys aren't being recruited over. The best players get into a school and get out before they can get recruited over.

I think for football looking at the Alabama running back situation is a good example. Eddie Lacy and Trent Richardson came in together in the class of 2009. The year before, that, 2008, had Mark Ingram. Ingram played as a freshman behind Glenn Coffee. Coffee moved on and Ingram became the big time back. Richardson came in and played behind Ingram and ran a pretty good amount. In 2010 Alabama added two more 4 star running backs. Lacy started to get some carries, about 55 or so. Ingram finally moves on and Richardson, now a junior, takes the reins. He gets almost 300 carries on the year. Lacy gets under 100 and one of the 4 stars gets about 50. In 2011 Alabama adds 5 star Demetrius Hart. I guess he redshirts Lacy finally gets the reins as a redshirt senior and he does quite well getting over 200 carries. In 2012 Alabama adds phenom freshman TJ Yeldon as well as 4 star Kenyon Drake. Yeldon carries almost 200 times as a freshman. Drake sees a bit of time. Yeldon becomes the man and Alabama adds four more 4 star guys in 2013 with Derrick Henry, Alvin Kamara, Altee Tenpenny and Tyren Jones.

Hart ended up transferring in 2014 and he ended up playing for the Colorado State Rams. He started for them and rushed for over 1,000 yards in his one season. He then went to the NFL where he wasn't drafted. So, he was at Alabama for 3 years and he saw very very few snaps. I think his redshirt sophomore year he was splitting snaps with 6 other running backs including freshmen Henry and Tenpenny. Anyway, guys like Hart, Jones, Tenpenny, Drake, Fowler, and Grant really have not seen, or didn't see, a lot of playing time. All of them were 4 or 5 star recruits. Some of them transferred and some of them stuck around.

That is great for Alabama, but those guys may have been better served heading to a lesser school where they might be getting snaps from day 1. What if Hart had gone to Colorado State out of high school? He might have had 3 seasons with 1,000+ yards and then he very possibly gets drafted. Instead, he sits the bench for 3 years before finally getting a chance to showcase himself. That is where getting recruited over as a player is tough. Of course, it isn't the school's fault, and it is what makes Alabama great.

 

[jauk11]

Poythress and Wiltjer really did not sit on the bench. Wiltjer may have predicted the bench for himself, but that probably was from a lack of confidence. Poythress was benched by injury. But, the guy was poised to be a leader last year on one of the deepest teams of talent in UK history. If you follow recruiting, you know Marcus Lee came to UK as a bench player behind more experienced talent. Without assuming your intention, your premise behind those guys seems flawed.

Excellent post, some of the things I was going to point out. And I think Cal let Wiltjer go and helped him do so even though he would have been a big help for him at UK if he had been selfish. A long history of putting his players first at UK. Marcus Lee and Poythress both have big roles on this team, and play at least as much as they deserve to play.

Willis was "only" a four star and got very little playing time before this year, but he is living a dream playing for his team. He may never have an NBA career but he will always be a hero in Kentucky and have a lot of doors opened for him job wise. If the RB isn't a star at Bama he will soon be forgotten, and that is definitely a large possibility, I think I saw where Bama just signed the number one RB in the nation, again.

AND I don't see how you could possibly be jealous of LSU's DB talent (or anywhere else, really) when you have two 5.8s, a 5.9, THREE 6.0s (next to a five star, and quite possible for them to get it going to Bama), plus the very elite five star in just your last TWO classes.

I repeat, LOL, poor baby.

 

[jauk11]

It seems a bit different with basketball. I think it is the turnover rate. You have some guys that are going to come in and be an immediate impact (Karl Anthony Towns) and you have others (Marcus Lee, WCS) that have to wait longer. WCS came in as a 4 star guy that played a pretty big role every year. He left UK as an All American and was drafted 6th overall. Marcus Lee has struggled at times, but he played in every game last year and this year was really finally his time to shine. He's played in all 23 games and could have paired extremely well with Skal had they both panned out. In most instances in basketball the guys aren't being recruited over. The best players get into a school and get out before they can get recruited over.

I think for football looking at the Alabama running back situation is a good example. Eddie Lacy and Trent Richardson came in together in the class of 2009. The year before, that, 2008, had Mark Ingram. Ingram played as a freshman behind Glenn Coffee. Coffee moved on and Ingram became the big time back. Richardson came in and played behind Ingram and ran a pretty good amount. In 2010 Alabama added two more 4 star running backs. Lacy started to get some carries, about 55 or so. Ingram finally moves on and Richardson, now a junior, takes the reins. He gets almost 300 carries on the year. Lacy gets under 100 and one of the 4 stars gets about 50. In 2011 Alabama adds 5 star Demetrius Hart. I guess he redshirts Lacy finally gets the reins as a redshirt senior and he does quite well getting over 200 carries. In 2012 Alabama adds phenom freshman TJ Yeldon as well as 4 star Kenyon Drake. Yeldon carries almost 200 times as a freshman. Drake sees a bit of time. Yeldon becomes the man and Alabama adds four more 4 star guys in 2013 with Derrick Henry, Alvin Kamara, Altee Tenpenny and Tyren Jones.

Hart ended up transferring in 2014 and he ended up playing for the Colorado State Rams. He started for them and rushed for over 1,000 yards in his one season. He then went to the NFL where he wasn't drafted. So, he was at Alabama for 3 years and he saw very very few snaps. I think his redshirt sophomore year he was splitting snaps with 6 other running backs including freshmen Henry and Tenpenny. Anyway, guys like Hart, Jones, Tenpenny, Drake, Fowler, and Grant really have not seen, or didn't see, a lot of playing time. All of them were 4 or 5 star recruits. Some of them transferred and some of them stuck around.

That is great for Alabama, but those guys may have been better served heading to a lesser school where they might be getting snaps from day 1. What if Hart had gone to Colorado State out of high school? He might have had 3 seasons with 1,000+ yards and then he very possibly gets drafted. Instead, he sits the bench for 3 years before finally getting a chance to showcase himself. That is where getting recruited over as a player is tough. Of course, it isn't the school's fault, and it is what makes Alabama great.

Nice post, lot of misses along with the big stars there------and those players had the talent to be big stars anywhere. And the four four stars in 13 weren't just four stars, they were all 6.0 four stars, very close to 5 stars and probably deserving of that honor in their own right, both of Bama's Heisman winning RBs were "only" four stars.

We had a 5.6 RB that had a great career at UK, Little, and would have had an NFL career if not for injuries, IIRC, and the highest rated RB commit at UK (before Boom equaled his rating) was 5.9 Goode that committed to UK before signing with Bama------where he spent four years behind a Heisman winner and an even better raw talent in Richardson before giving up and transferring down a division for his fifth year.

I don't know about some of you, apparently sitting on the bench is OK with you, but I would MUCH rather be a starter somewhere than sit on the bench for a NC.

 

[CrustyCat]

 

[RammerJammer91_rivals23256]

Nice post, lot of misses along with the big stars there------and those players had the talent to be big stars anywhere. And the four four stars in 13 weren't just four stars, they were all 6.0 four stars, very close to 5 stars and probably deserving of that honor in their own right, both of Bama's Heisman winning RBs were "only" four stars.

We had a 5.6 RB that had a great career at UK, Little, and would have had an NFL career if not for injuries, IIRC, and the highest rated RB commit at UK (before Boom equaled his rating) was 5.9 Goode that committed to UK before signing with Bama------where he spent four years behind a Heisman winner and an even better raw talent in Richardson before giving up and transferring down a division for his fifth year.

I don't know about some of you, apparently sitting on the bench is OK with you, but I would MUCH rather be a starter somewhere than sit on the bench for a NC.

So you would rather play for somewhere other than UK in basketball? Do you think blue-chip basketball recruits should play for schools other than Duke, Kansas, UK, etc. where they can start as opposed to potentially coming off the bench and being forgotten? I assume that you believe that, and as I mentioned in my post, that's what makes you a great poster because you're consistent and not a hypocrite. I assume you would also feel the same way if UK football started stacking their roster with top 10 recruiting classes. It'd be hypocritical if you thought otherwise, even though I disagree with you. I don't have a problem with coaches in any sport making sure their rosters are loaded. But you're consistent, and you deserve a lot of credit for that.

 

[3kidsandme]

So you would rather play for somewhere other than UK in basketball? Do you think blue-chip basketball recruits should play for schools other than Duke, Kansas, UK, etc. where they can start as opposed to potentially coming off the bench and being forgotten? I assume that you believe that, and as I mentioned in my post, that's what makes you a great poster because you're consistent and not a hypocrite. I assume you would also feel the same way if UK football started stacking their roster with top 10 recruiting classes. It'd be hypocritical if you thought otherwise, even though I disagree with you. I don't have a problem with coaches in any sport making sure their rosters are loaded. But you're consistent, and you deserve a lot of credit for that.

Your comparing apples to oranges comparing football recruiting to basketball. But to answer your question Cal rarely signs players that do not contribute a bunch. Willis and Hood where the exceptions. Willis is getting 25 mpg now. I also think it's recruits choice. Harris chose Bama so if he sits that's his own fault.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

So you would rather play for somewhere other than UK in basketball? Do you think blue-chip basketball recruits should play for schools other than Duke, Kansas, UK, etc. where they can start as opposed to potentially coming off the bench and being forgotten? I assume that you believe that, and as I mentioned in my post, that's what makes you a great poster because you're consistent and not a hypocrite. I assume you would also feel the same way if UK football started stacking their roster with top 10 recruiting classes. It'd be hypocritical if you thought otherwise, even though I disagree with you. I don't have a problem with coaches in any sport making sure their rosters are loaded. But you're consistent, and you deserve a lot of credit for that.

You know as well as anyone that kids who sign at Bama have always been the star of their team or their best lineman. Those guys understand that someone is going to be sitting but none of them think it is going to be them, they always been good and got to play. They don't realize that once you get to a P5 power that the last man on the bench is pretty dang good. You have kids coming in who have been multi year all state players, their states best player and all of a sudden there are 5 people better than them on his team. Bama is the go to school in FB now, just like UK is the got school in BB, both have earned that title and you have to respect it, I don't particularly like it, but I can respect the accomplishments.

 

[BobbyK49]

Meh, everybody knows Ansley was only a (half-assed) recruiter and if you attended practices last year, you'd know Josh Pruitt and Tyler Hancock actually coached the DB's...[/QChange the names and this is exactly what a number of UL fans were saying about UK's hire of Lamar Thomas.