I don't know what he means but both kids we have in 2021 are really good. I personally think Styles is the #1 2021 kid in NC and not a 1 and done I don't think he will be here all 4 years but long enough. I believe his 1st game back is tonight from injury. I think Dunn is a 4 year guy and for a HS kid he has been very efficient in the games I seen and can shoot. Not a big class but think both will be big time pieces in the long run. If they don't add a PG in 2021 the 2022 class got a few that can really play if we miss out on Bradley. Scoot Henderson from GA and Jazian Gortman from SC both are very good.
2021 Recruiting Thread
- Thread starter ProfessorOwl
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It's more about Styles and Dunn and how I think they are perfect for this program. In-state guys who project to be at least 2-3 year players who have shown rapid improvement over the past few seasons.
I also like that we've backed off Sallis so Caleb doesn't feel obligated to be OAD. If Sallis was coming in, he may not want to share what looks like a very loaded backcourt by adding another top 10 player.
I agree with you that I'd like to see 1-2 more guys on board, given our scholarship situation with Sharpe likely leaving. That said, this is a weird season and I think coach is waiting until we can hopefully get kids on campus in April/May...which was around the time we got that Kerwin commitment last year. Also, knowing that Jarace could very well reclass to 2021, I love that he's hearing from us as much as he is knowing how big of UNC fan he is. He'd be a perfect fit to close out our 2021 class.
All good points, especially the last (above)
The 2021 class is missing a big body.
I believe the back court is solid next season, with or without Love, but another big body would be great and Jarace would be terrific.
Makes sense, hope you're right. If Love leaves we need a PG, can't depend on RJ alone. Roy's said he wants one a year anyway, so could see adding a longer term guy. Feel the same way with bigs if both Bacot and Sharpe are leaving, but Roy knows more on that front.
Will feel more comfortable if/when we add one more top 100 caliber player. We do have seven freshman though I guess.
Yeah, we need at least one PF in this class, IMO.
As to OAD’s every year, it’s not conducive to winning titles. I don’t like seeing UNC starting a freshman at PG 3 years in a row. That’s not going to win many titles either. My fear is that Mando, Day’Ron, and Caleb will play just well enough to entice them to turn pro. Now we’ve got major player attrition, and a rebuilding year the following year. We’d have some very good pieces coming back, but would they possess the talent and experience to succeed?
The lure of money, combined with the instant transfer portal, makes recruiting more and more speculative. I say stop recruiting top 20 players, unless they’re huge Heels fans. Offer early and often to the guys ranked 20-70. Let them know they are your priority, players that will stay multiple years and work to improve. That’s our wheelhouse.
Just my $.02 worth.
As far as I'm concerned, our most important recruit next year is Armando Bacot. He is not the sort of big the NBA seeks out, but he could continue to dominate the ACC next year and beyond. It's critical that we keep him.
Speaking of the PF question, what do you guys think about Puff being our future PF? A few games ago I couldn't help but notice that he's barely shorter than Garrison. And he's probably longer. Plus it's been mentioned several times that he enjoys playing more on the interior than Cam (who played PF for us at times).
Obviously he will need to continue to add strength, but I think he could be a gamechanger at that position. It also might help explain why the staff is unconcerned about adding a PF recruit.
Speaking of the PF question, what do you guys think about Puff being our future PF? A few games ago I couldn't help but notice that he's barely shorter than Garrison. And he's probably longer. Plus it's been mentioned several times that he enjoys playing more on the interior than Cam (who played PF for us at times).
Obviously he will need to continue to add strength, but I think he could be a gamechanger at that position. It also might help explain why the staff is unconcerned about adding a PF recruit.
I see more of your point much more than before on the OADs, and would be pretty disappointed if all three of those guys left. Worth noting that Bacot was not in the top 20 though, and Sharpe was not at the time of his commitment either. The rankings are somewhat fluid outside of the too 4-5 guys, and I don't mind going after them generally as long as we're getting some surefire multi-year top 100 guys.
It is a difficult situation to balance when recruiting, the NCAA is no longer the only option to develop. The "lure of the money" is an odd way of putting it to me. The emergence of a budding, still growing, viable option to develop their game, which does offer compensation gives another avenue for every kid with a legit shot at making basketball their career. These options make college a year to year decision for the kids.
If they don’t want to go to college, I think it’d be in everyone’s best interest if they didn’t. Just take your talent to the G-League and get paid. I doubt most college basketball fans would miss you. I know I wouldn’t.
The college game will wilt if all the future pros choose the other pathways. They have to find a middle ground to stay relevant for NBA caliber kids to play college ball. The top 100 won't even look at college ball if it gets to that point. The game has always had the majority of the elite 19 - early 20's year olds.
Tony Parker signed his 1st contract at 10 years old in Europe, it is the norm to train and develop as a teen while getting compensated. I think every college hoops fan would not recognize a game void of the majority of kids with legit talent to play as a pro participating.
Tony Parker signed his 1st contract at 10 years old in Europe, it is the norm to train and develop as a teen while getting compensated. I think every college hoops fan would not recognize a game void of the majority of kids with legit talent to play as a pro participating.
No doubt the top 5-10 kids are playing only because the NBA mandates it. Still I think the way you framed it is too simplistic Arch. Did Coby White want to go to college? Absolutely. However, should he turn down $3 million a year if his alternative is his sophomore year at UNC? I don't know how any responsible parent could recommend the latter.
So yeah, there are a few kids who no doubt should skip college entirely (and hopefully the NBA will let them do so soon). There are exponentially more in the gray area where they're not yet good enough for the NBA, but the NBA potential is there, and it is clearly the better option as soon as it becomes available. In fact, hard to say most top 100 kids are not in that boat. Even the NBA minimum can be life changing money.
Maybe not, but why take the risk?
Might be different if he was barely in the 1st round. But even that is good guaranteed money. Why risk an injury or off year?
That said, it is kind of fun to imagine the 2020 team if Coby returns. Are there enough basketballs for both Coby and Cole?
Assuming they figure out how to play together, that back court could thin out the coaching ranks - via heart attacks.
Name all the players - that were thought to be first rounders - that came back for an additional year, got hurt and then weren't drafted.
I hear about this threat of career wrecking injury yet I can't name a single player that has fallen victim. Hell, Greg Oden who was damaged goods since high school, was still picked #2 and made $24mm+.
Not necessarily, but it's possible (either via injury, shooting slump, etc). What did he have to gain by coming back? E.g., Your 19 year old son is offered a 4 year, $12M contract to go work for a top company right now. Your son is very talented, but he won't be able to get more than ~$20M over 4 years no matter how well they do in college. There's non-zero risk they won't get an offer at all if they wait longer. Would you advise they accept it or not? For me it'd be an easy recommendation.
If my son was mature enough to handle the job and everything that comes with it, then maybe. But the chances of my 18 year old son being able to handle the rigors of a job that pays him such is very low. And I think my son, at 14, is more mature than many/most 18 year olds.
60% of NBA players file for bankruptcy within 5 years. Why is that number not similar for other high paying professions?
I'm sure he'll be a fine neurosurgeon.
I think so too. But don't think that kissing my ass will get you any free surgeries. Besides, I'm not sure there's anything that can help you.
Only you could mistake sarcasm for praise. I'd face death's row before I let the likes of you near my precious organs, let alone your genetic progeny.
I'm not sure there's anything you could do either. You've already caused enough brain damage by subjecting us to your posts and lowering this board's collective IQ.
If my son had a guarantee of three million plus, he would sign the contract. I'll make sure that he doesn't spend more than one hundred thousand
Can't - but I don't pay much attention beyond the UNC fold. I can name a few who stuck around (when they legitimately could have gone for a decent pick earlier) and improved their status. But only a few. And we can all name some who stuck around and lost ground. Plus some who clearly struck when the iron was hot, despite many saying they should have stuck around.
But we were talking about Coby. Do you honestly think Coby would have improved his #7 draft pick by sticking around for the following year's train wreck?
Is it any different for those who stuck around when they could have gone pro vs those who went pro as soon as they could? That would be interesting to know.
I mean I suspect it isn't a significant factor, but it might be and that would be interesting.
The significant factor they look at is years with that 7 digit, then 8 digit yearly salaries, not counting endorsement, shoe deals, appearance fees, etc. Also service time that puts them at optimal age for a 2nd and 3rd contract when they are free agents. These kids are looking at career impact and scope.
Coby has maxed out his position and earning window, still only 20, it seems to be playing out he will not be a point guard in the league. Two very useful development years, finding his fit in the league, scorer (Lou Willams/Jamal Crawford type) and will still only be 23 or so when he hits the free market . With the 10's or millions already earned.
His move was a no brainer.
Coby has maxed out his position and earning window, still only 20, it seems to be playing out he will not be a point guard in the league. Two very useful development years, finding his fit in the league, scorer (Lou Willams/Jamal Crawford type) and will still only be 23 or so when he hits the free market . With the 10's or millions already earned.
His move was a no brainer.
This right here.
It'd be one thing if Coby was coming back to a contender but losing Kenny, Luke, and Cam basically ensured we weren't going to be that good. We would have won a few more games but in reality we were boned from the get go. He had nothing to gain by coming back. Lotto pick, millions of dollars, and a chance to win that second contract?
Most professions don't have enormous income during your 20s with expectations of a lavish lifestyle and then essentially zero income from age 30 on. The numbers are also a bit misleading I expect. The typical NBA player doesn't actually make that much, when you consider there are probably a couple hundred guys who get a cup of coffee every year in the league (E.g., Isiah Hicks). For a rotation player who sticks around for 10 years though, I expect/hope the bankruptcy numbers are much lower. A decent first round pick has a much better trajectory than the average guy who makes an NBA roster for maybe half a season.
I also don't know that college will necessarily make you more mature than having a job. These guys aren't typically taking rocket science classes, and many college students party a lot anyway.
If you can make $3M a year at 19 and stay an extra year in college, that's at least one year lost of a MAYBE 10 year window for most players to make money. It's just gone, you don't get to make it up on the backend. It's also an extra year of waiting before you get to the lucrative 2nd contract. And even a small chance of not getting drafted is a HUGE risk when you have $5M-$10M guaranteed staring you in the face.
I'm trying to be objective here, but I think it's pretty much a no-brainer decision for first-round picks to go to the league. I see your point more for late second rounders, or especially undrafted guys going to the G-League or Europe.
Totally agree. The earning window is SO short, when you have a 7 figure year available with the added bonus of getting service time it is major.
Luka Garza is going to be the college player of the year. NBA aspiration wise he would of been better served in the G-league, developing passing skills, pick and roll defense movement, etc. His age now is another knock on him now to start to learn those.
More fun to dominate in college with the strength, but many teams see that as he wants the easy way. We will pay, but time to work if you want to develop for your career in a cutthroat highly paid, but highly competitive elite level.
Luka Garza is going to be the college player of the year. NBA aspiration wise he would of been better served in the G-league, developing passing skills, pick and roll defense movement, etc. His age now is another knock on him now to start to learn those.
More fun to dominate in college with the strength, but many teams see that as he wants the easy way. We will pay, but time to work if you want to develop for your career in a cutthroat highly paid, but highly competitive elite level.
I noticed very early this season how long Puff was. Possible yes.
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