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I'm just wondering how many potential recruits during the LB years were dissuaded by other schools harping on LB's negatives.

Are we actually better off (in a way) not having to recruit against the negatives?

Discussion...

I don't necessarily look at it like that we are better. I mean coaches will find negative things about any program if they look hard enough and do what they can to persuade a player to think their program is the best fit for a recruit. Larry Brown is known by any basketball player and he has coached numerous hall of farmers throughout his career and no one may have a better knowledge of the game of basketball than him. Obviously people will mention the sanctioning against him, but the two biggest negatives I can see against Larry Brown are you never know how long he will be at the school coaching, which is huge if you're committing to play more than one year and secondly, he runs a very different type of offense that does not fit most schools. If you're the type of player who loves to shoot threes and look a fast pace of game, Larry isn't the coach for you. Larry is a slow it down, work it around and try to get the ball down low or wide open and shoot it when we have 5 or 10 seconds left on the play clock and if you mess up, he will take you right out. Love Larry, but his style doesn't fit a lot of recruits type of play now a days, where as Jank has already said he keeps a shorter leash on players and likes to use the three ball much more which appeals to a lot more players. But, Jank isn't as well known and does have a splash that a kid knows when someone says "Larry Brown wants you on his team". But only time will tell if Jank can get that national recognition which I hope is sooner rather than later.

BleedSMUPride wrote:I don't necessarily look at it like that we are better. I mean coaches will find negative things about any program if they look hard enough and do what they can to persuade a player to think their program is the best fit for a recruit. Larry Brown is known by any basketball player and he has coached numerous hall of farmers throughout his career and no one may have a better knowledge of the game of basketball than him. Obviously people will mention the sanctioning against him, but the two biggest negatives I can see against Larry Brown are you never know how long he will be at the school coaching, which is huge if you're committing to play more than one year and secondly, he runs a very different type of offense that does not fit most schools. If you're the type of player who loves to shoot threes and look a fast pace of game, Larry isn't the coach for you. Larry is a slow it down, work it around and try to get the ball down low or wide open and shoot it when we have 5 or 10 seconds left on the play clock and if you mess up, he will take you right out. Love Larry, but his style doesn't fit a lot of recruits type of play now a days, where as Jank has already said he keeps a shorter leash on players and likes to use the three ball much more which appeals to a lot more players. But, Jank isn't as well known and does have a splash that a kid knows when someone says "Larry Brown wants you on his team". But only time will tell if Jank can get that national recognition which I hope is sooner rather than later.

Not sure I totally agree with your analysis of LBs game. LB likes to push the ball and get out on the break but if it is not there then... what you said.

sadderbudweiser wrote:
Are we actually better off (in a way) not having to recruit against the negatives?

no.

They are very different. brown relied on transfers, his best kids never made it on campus, profile busts, and some great evaluations of under regarded kids. Truth be told, we benefitted by giving Brown the staff we did and a by any means necessary directive. It was never about his rep, charm, or style of play. We had shady assassins w a lot of slack in the rope.

Jank has a better receuiting staff, by a bunch, then Browns last 2 years at SMU. He may not have the name Brown does, but he doesn't have the prototype hang ups Brown did either. The kids we turned away bc brown doesn't like short guards is epic. Jank knows being a monster in college is different than having NBA measurables. If we can end up w the type of class we look to get, it's a good omen moving forward. This staff adjusted, shifted around, and added moving parts after the open period had started. By next year this time, I'd expect quite a bit, just based on current results.

Think we could/would take five if we were able to snag Chargois and Douglas and then Bruno remains in play for Spring?

The Ray commitment surprised me in a good way. He could end up being a really good player for us. Great job by the staff.