I think it helps our recruiting long term if Jackson leaves. There is a perception that you can't come to UNC and move on to the NBA quickly. Right or wrong (circumstances drive a lot of it), that could change with JJ leaving and being drafted on potential.
I think in the end winning helps recruiting more than anything else in normal circumstances. IMO, the reason we see so many kinds now days want to commit in clusters is in their minds they want to win and kinda sell themselves on the notion that their chances of winning in college are increased if they get their mega talented buds on board.
One of the problems we have had is that this past season was our first trip to the title game or the final 4 in a while. We can discuss why forever but we have not been exactly seen as the winner type program since the last time we won it all. WE had a great recruiting class on the heals of that last title winning season but it kinda blew apart, that whole class was pretty much a disappointment to put it in the most nice terms I can think of. We even got some love the following class but that class left early and we were not able to replace Reggie, Kendal, and Barns with similar level talents and then the NCAA stuff blew up in our faces, the slide from where we were to where we have been had begun.
I think we can get a LOT of love from this 2017 class in large part because we played in the title game, most especially if we see that we will not have post season bans to worry about. We now have the chance to show, especially big men, wide open available playing time as freshmen, that fits what the better talents are looking for and especially the big men and it very specifically has been big men we have been missing on.
I really don't buy big men have not been committing to us because they think Roy holds them back from getting to the NBA any longer than at Ky or duke. I do think the potential of a post season ban has been a problem because no one & done wants to see their freshman season and they not be able to increase their NBA worth by having a post season ban that would not allow them to play in the NCAAT. You could be the next coming of Sampson, jabar, Shaq,or Wilt and KNOW you wil be the first pick in the draft after your frosh season but you still want to have a chance to win it all at the college level and a post season ban does not allow that. No matter if you think there may be a post season ban for UNC or not, we just have not been that consistent deep in the NCAA program over the last few years and it has dulled our image while Ky and duke's image has exploded.
For me however, the larger issue has been available PT. I think most of these big time talents need to see strong available PT. Kinda blew my mind Ky was able to assemble so many top 20 players for that team season before last. *I mean big men committed to them knowing they had a strong stock of front court players and yet Towns and Lyle still went to them. But Ky had the recency of winning it all still fresh in kids minds and were riding that still.
But we now have that wide open front court PT we can point to for those coveted big men. By the time the 2017 class get to college we at most would have ONLY Tony Bradley as a guy that may take some of your PT. We have great shooters, we have great guards to get you the ball and all the PT you can dream of, PERFECT situation and even more so if it is clear you do not have to worry about a post season ban! I think the worries will go away about a post season ban once we receive the updated NOA in a few days and its contents are made public.
