Thank you shun, seems like few realize how good we should be this coming season, all many can think about is what we don't have rather than what we actually do have.
Recruiting: class of 2016
- Thread starter gunslingerdick
- Start date
Thank you shun, seems like few realize how good we should be this coming season, all many can think about is what we don't have rather than what we actually do have.
I like shun's posts - all of them. He's a sunshine and rainbows kind of guy. And we need those here. But we also need the more skeptical fans. It creates a balance to the board. I like to think I lie right in the middle - optimistic but not unrealistic.
As far as the current state of things, I'm not sure I would call our 15-16 team "loaded". They're still flawed in some areas. I think we can be good and I think that we can hide some of our flaws a little better this coming season than we were able to last season. But it's only because I see the total college basketball landscape as down that I'm as optimistic as I am. Brice needs to play like a bona fide 1st round pick. Marcus needs to be Marcus of his sophomore year. Meeks needs better explosion. Joel Berry needs to step up and be the unquestioned PG of the team. And we need Williams to have a better than expected freshman year. I think all of those things can happen.
But on the other side, I'm not as freaked out about the recruiting as some here...yet. If we get Bradley and Woods, which seems likely at this point, and we add another 2-3 solid prospects (hopefully the Finnish kid), I'll be content with that. Especially knowing that we have Felton in the fold for the following year. We all wanted 2016 to be our big comeback year in recruiting but it may have to wait until 2017, and I'm ok with that. I like the feeling I'm getting on the NCAA mess and I like that we have a good product to put on the floor this season. Those two things should signal we're working our way out of the black cloud that has been looming.
As far as the current state of things, I'm not sure I would call our 15-16 team "loaded". They're still flawed in some areas. I think we can be good and I think that we can hide some of our flaws a little better this coming season than we were able to last season. But it's only because I see the total college basketball landscape as down that I'm as optimistic as I am. Brice needs to play like a bona fide 1st round pick. Marcus needs to be Marcus of his sophomore year. Meeks needs better explosion. Joel Berry needs to step up and be the unquestioned PG of the team. And we need Williams to have a better than expected freshman year. I think all of those things can happen.
But on the other side, I'm not as freaked out about the recruiting as some here...yet. If we get Bradley and Woods, which seems likely at this point, and we add another 2-3 solid prospects (hopefully the Finnish kid), I'll be content with that. Especially knowing that we have Felton in the fold for the following year. We all wanted 2016 to be our big comeback year in recruiting but it may have to wait until 2017, and I'm ok with that. I like the feeling I'm getting on the NCAA mess and I like that we have a good product to put on the floor this season. Those two things should signal we're working our way out of the black cloud that has been looming.
Hi GSD! Thank you for the compliment. Do you remember posting on one of my topics that you could not believe that people were giving some UNC fans a hard time. I'm curious to where you live at or region. I do like your SPIRIT!
The point I really want to drive home, the point I am not so sure many are thinking in terms of we don't need the top 5 players in the class to have a team ranked #1 in the country. Look right now, outside of Marcus and maybe even including him I would suggest that Roy has cobbled a team full of players that were not the #1 players at their positions for their class, even in a down recruiting class nationally. WE are doing MORE with less added to the string of just plain ole bad luck and all that aside from the NCAA cloud.
OK, so maybe we get the #5 rated player at his position rather than the 1 or 2 guy, Roy finds a way to cobble together a very solid team. Roy can not help it if injury strikes us and lets face it, we have had unusual bad luck when it comes to both numbers of injured as well as the timing of those injuries.
I absolutely do want Bam, Giles, Dennis Smith for example but even if we do not get any of those fellas, even if we miss on every one of the top 20 guys, Roy will bring in enough talent that will keep us a top program. Would it be easier with a Giles or a Bam of course it would but even if it is SKJ and Bradley we wil still be right there at the top 10. I strongly believe we would have been top 5 last season without the injuries to our guards, no doubt in my mind we were a top 5 team the season before if PJ is playing and how about Reggie leaving earlier than any of us (including roy) expected? If not for crazy injuries and the unexpected like leaving earlier than thought or PJ/Lmac stuff we would have got a heck of a lot more done than we have.
Point is, who ever we do get Roy will fashion a solid team from, we worry to much where the top 10 in a class commit because we don't have to be loaded with top 10 level players to win. Ky had a mega talented team last season. I think maybe Jackson is the only top 10 in his class we have right now and lets face it, he was not near a Ochafor or a Towns or even Looney level guy. Not a diss toward Justin but he was not a dominant player, he was at most complimentary level guy last season. Roy will cobble together a better team than many fear after next season because unless the un-expected happens Roy always does field a team considered to be easy top 10.
Look at it this way, while we did drop both games to duke last season, they were both nail biters, we played Ky dead even and actually cut their lead in that second half. We were right there with the top teams in the country on the court last season even with missing nearly a month of practices due to our guards injuries, losing Dean and Gut.
To many folks are to worried about what we don't have, what we do have is what I am about more than what we don't. What we do have is a coach that may not be perfect but I do think such a coach exists, we have one of the best coaches in the business. While coaches like Kal & now days K rely on out talenting teams, Roy is back to having to coach his players and not depend on out talenting and that actually is not a bad thing at all.
Hi DSouthr! I like the way you think, my brother!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO TAR HEELS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I live in Lynchburg, VA. There's some friendly ribbing between friends, but as my response in that thread stated, I've never been accosted by a stranger for wearing UNC gear.
Keep up the good work, shun.
"I like shun's posts - all of them. He's a sunshine and rainbows kind of guy. And we need those here. But we also need the more skeptical fans. It creates a balance to the board. I like to think I lie right in the middle - optimistic but not unrealistic."
I agree Slinger, my one caveat being fans that are constantly negative. They do tend to get under my skin.
The upcoming season should be a good one for UNC fans, a special season would do wonders for our program and our fans.
I agree Slinger, my one caveat being fans that are constantly negative. They do tend to get under my skin.
The upcoming season should be a good one for UNC fans, a special season would do wonders for our program and our fans.
With the UNC goal to compete EVERY year.....I think you have to get a class of top level guys. You can be number 1 preseason rankings and honestly I see UNC and Maryland as the team's with most talent vs questions going into next year. But without a top class you run a very up and down level. Yes being ranked 20-25 each year is good but not UNC good. If UNC goes to the final 4 this year likely 2-3 guys could leave early and with questions on violations not answered you could easily repeat 09-10.
I get the rest of your points in that post...but gotta argue with this one with some facts. Here are their rankings:
Justin Jackson - #8
Joel Berry - #17
Marcus Paige - #22
Kennedy Meeks - #44
Brice Johnson - #34
Theo Pinson - #10
So no top 5 players, fine, that works...only if you have the #8, #10, #17, #22 recruits also. It's not like any of these guys were sleepers, they were all very highly ranked recruits.
Bottom line that the more skeptical fans are saying is that we need players in 2016. If we don't get Giles, Smith, etc. it's fine if we wind up with 4 guys in between 15-55. If we land only 1-2 top 50 guys, we will be in trouble after this season.
I like the Fox offer by Roy. Kid is crazy good. We may not get him but I like the offer. Offer might signal the Smith shipped has sailed.
90% of these kids we have offered are saying that they are going to commit before the start of their senior season..if so..we won't get any of those guys...a spring decision and we got a shot if we're still on their list!!
Updated list - someone correct me if I've omitted anyone.
Bigs:
Giles
Bam Bam
SKJ
Jarret Allen
Bradley
Boldin
Huell
DeLaurier
Markkanen
Wings:
Tatum - committed elsewhere
Bridges
Ferguson
Guards:
Monk
Smith
Simmons
Woods
Fultz
Alkins
Fox
I'd love it if @Steat would make that spreadsheet again and we could get some predictions going.
Bigs:
Giles
Bam Bam
SKJ
Jarret Allen
Bradley
Boldin
Huell
DeLaurier
Markkanen
Wings:
Tatum - committed elsewhere
Bridges
Ferguson
Guards:
Monk
Smith
Simmons
Woods
Fultz
Alkins
Fox
I'd love it if @Steat would make that spreadsheet again and we could get some predictions going.
Actually, of the 18 recruits offered, only 4 have a targeted fall decision in mind . .
Harry Giles
Edrice Adebayo
Markelle Fultz
Lauri Markkanen
I too have been awol from the board for a while because of all of the negative threads. I agreed with Dsouthr that we should enjoy the team in the present and not lose sleep or your daily happiness over future players...
I don't know Billy..every interview I read about each of these kids they are mentioning a fall commit..i sure hope not!! I do know that fox said he will wait till the spring..
well..my predictions would be a class of markkanen,Bradley,woods and one surprise player..wanna say skj,but UK is going to be hard to beat out..and that would be a shame because he's literally right in our own backyard!!
Who would be UNC's 3 (assuming JJ leaves) or stretch 4 next year? From what I've seen of Gabriel's highlights, he's a true stretch 4. Don't see why he goes to Duke if we also get Giles, in which case, why wouldn't UNC have a good shot with him?
Duke's the favorite for Gabriel, even with potentially Giles. He's a big Duke fun, his twitter handle even used to say "BlueDevil" something. Three or four year player, so Giles being here one year doesn't really mean much.
It must be nice not to be encumbered by the Freedom of Information Act since all of these guys obviously aren't Academic All Americans and probably share little or nothing with the average dook student. Gabriel has stated that he wants to play immediately.
I wouldn't be too sure about him being a 3-4 year player...
Does UNC play stretch 4's / 5's?
Yep..won a championship with 2 on the same squad!!...the Williams boys!!
58 mentions that the FOIA doe s not apply to dook and how nice that is .... hell those aholes and their fraud coach have been covering up for nearly SIX years the entire Lance Thomas$70k illegal benefits scam .NOTHING has been done to them...... ZERO ZILCH NADA
Those pu$$ies would not last five days with the kind of withering and nonstop investigations by media whores like the N and O and ESPN, as well as the NCAA., that we have had to endure for the last FIVE YEARS
It would clearly cost them a Natty and THAT cannot be tolerated by the "leader of men:"
Those pu$$ies would not last five days with the kind of withering and nonstop investigations by media whores like the N and O and ESPN, as well as the NCAA., that we have had to endure for the last FIVE YEARS
It would clearly cost them a Natty and THAT cannot be tolerated by the "leader of men:"
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Roy is throwing offers out like candy. First come first serve. We will see how this tactic works out.
To true long time UNC fans:
Roy's plan seems to be to over offer out of possible damage from allegations/investigations.
To the UNC fan, how much damage has the current situation caused and IYO, when will UNC overcome it??
As a UK long time fan (mid 70's), I have witness my share of rumors, allegations, and real facts that set our program back. Some took years to mend. Part of me wants to feel sorry far the innocent fan and current player,
but the rest of me know that a penalty must be paid (if guilty) to deter future misbehavior.
If you have to ask this question then you a) do not really pay attention or b) are getting your rubs in (imo). Good luck to Roy and UNC with all of our offers. Obviously, the first 4-5 to commit would become our class if all offers are equal...
Dennis Smith Jr. went down last night in Team Wall's Adidas Nations Global game against Team Lillard. People are saying its a left knee injury. Kid left the gym on crutches.
Make sure you guys watch ESPNU tonight.
3rd Place Game @ 7pm EST
Team Lillard vs. Team Africa
Notable Players: Wenyen Gabriel, Gary Trent Jr. and Trevon Duval
Championship Game @ 9pm EST
Team Wall vs. Team Rose
Notable Players: Rawle Alkins, Kobi Simmons, Frank Jackson, Bam Adebayo, Markelle Fultz, and Braxton Blackwell.
Dennis Smith plays for Team Wall but I doubt he will play tonight.
3rd Place Game @ 7pm EST
Team Lillard vs. Team Africa
Notable Players: Wenyen Gabriel, Gary Trent Jr. and Trevon Duval
Championship Game @ 9pm EST
Team Wall vs. Team Rose
Notable Players: Rawle Alkins, Kobi Simmons, Frank Jackson, Bam Adebayo, Markelle Fultz, and Braxton Blackwell.
Dennis Smith plays for Team Wall but I doubt he will play tonight.
just checked out 247. had something like 10 or 11 favored for Duke and 12 favored for Kentucky. I'm no math whiz, but I will assume that neither school has that many scholarships to give. Don't think that I will be too concerned until it shakes out and see what we get.
I think we will be happy with the results of 16 and 17. Don't know who it will be but I'm sure quality will be there and quantity.
Wish it would become clearer but that is not what is going to happen.
I think we will be happy with the results of 16 and 17. Don't know who it will be but I'm sure quality will be there and quantity.
Wish it would become clearer but that is not what is going to happen.
