Our new Player Development Coach's Thoughts On Recruiting

[theKybluedude]

You have to have a team that has a mix of different skill sets. Can not have 5 offensive minded guys who have to have the ball in their hands.
Need a team that blends unique skills whether it be distributing the ball to guys who can set screens and rebound. Shooters. Ball handlers. Rim protectors. Toughness. Leaders. Guys who understand their roles and accept it.

 

[Cats192]

Not a huge fan of hearing that. Go get a few studs first, then maybe use analytics to fill the the role players and find the right pieces. If we have a huge NIL budget, I'd rather take the Dodgers approach than be a small market team trying to do the "whole is greater than the sum of it's parts" stuff

I don't think it necessarily means "Don't get talent."

I think in a vacuum, the BEST players fit any system. Yaxel, Caleb Wilson, and Donovan Dent would have fit the Mark Pope offense quite well. Dent had a dreadful shooting season. But he was a 40% 3 point shooter last year--and we would have loved him for Pope's system this time last year.

I think the philosophy is that you get 2-3 star players. And then the rest of the roster is designed to fit those guys. And I think this is what the elite teams are already doing.

If you get 5 elite players that all fit each other's strengths well, then sure, you're not going to say no to all of them. But you don't need a team with Otega Oweh and Jaland Lowe where both want to dribble the basketball for 25 seconds before lowering their head and going to the basket.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

I definitely think Brown means more than just fitting an offense. I think he means fitting the culture, the coaching philosophy, the offensive system, the defensive principles, the values of collective over individual goals, complementary skillsets etc. I really feel that Pope should have been building that way from day one. I believe he was fortunate that he had great buy in from his first crop of players who fit his culture, but he overstated just how entrenched the culture was built and year two dismantled it. He prioritized raw talent and it backfired. Build with the right talent.

 

[JPFisher]

Here we go. That stupid “system“ word over talent?
I’ll observe but I think Pope’s digging a hole with that approach.

Not a huge fan of hearing that. Go get a few studs first, then maybe use analytics to fill the the role players and find the right pieces. If we have a huge NIL budget, I'd rather take the Dodgers approach than be a small market team trying to do the "whole is greater than the sum of it's parts" stuff

yeah you can have whatever system you want, doesn't matter if you can't sign the best guys

We went for talent this year and completely disregarded fit and then **** the bed. I'm cool with a 24-25 team skill-wise as long as there's an improvement in talent. Loved Carr, but we need some athletes.

I think a lot of fans are taking "fit" to mean that talent doesn't matter. The two don't have to be mutually exclusive. You can have athletic, talented guys who also fit into what Pope wants to do.

I'll hold off on calling for Pope's job (any more, anyway) until after we see where the roster stands at the end of May.

It’s really surprising to me that so many people have criticisms of these comments. Shocking. LOL

It really is quite something, isn't it?

 

[megablue]

I would say UConn as far as developing players to a system with some actual talent and they are getting kinda drilled first half.

Does UConn run Pope's system ... or does anyone ?? That is my question.

 

[megablue]

“Mitch thought Kentuckys brand and the NIL money would make Pope an elite recruiter and elevate him.”

This is what everyone was pinning hopes on

1000%^^^^
It may well be that are brand is not that attractive, even if still somewhat relevant. Things can change ...

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Does UConn run Pope's system ... or does anyone ?? That is my question.

I’m sure many teams run some version of zoom offense. I don’t know exactly what UConn runs. From what I can find he runs some zoom.
Under Dan Hurley, UConn runs a sophisticated, high-efficiency offense described as a "motion-on-steroids" system, featuring heavy off-ball movement, intricate screen actions (like zoom, pitch, and staggered screens), and a deep playbook

 

[notFromhere]

Not a huge fan of hearing that. Go get a few studs first, then maybe use analytics to fill the the role players and find the right pieces.

I think that piece meal approach is also not a title winning approach.

I think you have to have a package put together with specifics to sell to each player you truly want so there's no question where they stand. You have to be BIG picture and build it all from there.

Cal is a get the "sure fire NBA" talent and then wing it. It doesn't work except once in 30 years.

Same goes for the staff. Cal is another example of lackluster staff vision. Pope put together what he could spur of the moment, but was always wanting the guy they hired as GM, because Pope's not that guy.

The current moves could be great long-term moves or indicators of them, with or without Pope, for the program. I'm encouraged, but not as much as I might have been if Pitino had been lured away from St John's.