Giant Basketball Recruit

[Hoop Fan]

good picture of Bamba Fall on the Ponyfans homepage. I said yesterday that his weight is a concern, and someone compared his measurements to Manute Bol, but in the picture you can tell that his neck and shoulders are much thicker than a guy like Bol. This looks like a good pickup.

[Stampede]

I'll re-post that:

Bamba has a nice "J", can run the floor well and, as he is 7' 1", is a defensive obstacle. nuff said

[Corso]

good picture of Bamba Fall on the Ponyfans homepage. I said yesterday that his weight is a concern, and someone compared his measurements to Manute Bol, but in the picture you can tell that his neck and shoulders are much thicker than a guy like Bol. This looks like a good pickup.

Where's the picture of the big fella? All I get is a photo of D.D. Lee.
Am I looking in the wrong place?

[OldPony]

Guys- This is a project. Like I said on the other board, he makes Rack look like Shaq. I was pleased by the Rack recruitment though and still hope he can improve to be a very good player. The best thing I see about Bamba other than his height is that he is from Mouth of Wilson High. They don't take many bad players. Lineman did a good job getting this guy. My guess is that JT had as much to do with it as Dement did to get the Dallas guy when Tubbs was the assistant. Tubbs got the job because he could recruit Dallas. I'll get excited about him and his recruiting when he lands a top Dallas player or shows something different on the court. I'm not being negative- I was born in Missouri.
I can't find that Bamba is a Top 30 player anywhere. Where does that info come from?

[Webmaster]

We were running a photo of DD today. When we heard about the surprise signing of Bamba Fall, we swapped out the photo. Just go to the home page, and if you're still seeing DD, hit the refresh button on your Web browser.

[Stampede]

Lineman did a good job getting this guy. My guess is that JT had as much to do with it as Dement did to get the Dallas guy when Tubbs was the assistant. Tubbs got the job because he could recruit Dallas.


Old Pony---you are simply guessing. Coach Tubbs did a great job of recruiting Bamba. Yes, Coach Lineberg (not Lineman) also played a major hand in Bamba's recruiting but JT worked hard and "closed the deal". I know that for a fact.

That being said...it does not mater where you are...OU, Duke or Fla. ST. ...the assistants do more recruiting thatn the head coach. But JT is extremely active in all recruiting. And as coach Lineberg once told me..."Jimmy is the BEST recruiter he has been around EVER...and I have been with some of the best".

I have seen Bamba play and, yes, while Bamba may be a a year away...he is closer to being ready that "Rack"...and he is gaining weight every day.

[ponyboy]

And, as someone said over on the basketball board, cut out the Bol references. Bamba is 6 inches shorter and 25-30 pounds heavier than Manute.

[OldPony]

You're right. I am guessing. The fact that Lineberg has the connections in that part of the world is what I'm basing my guess on. I don't know where you get your "facts".
Dement was an excellent closer too and I'm just pointing out that Dement always gave credit to Tubbs like I think Tubbs will do with his assistants too. I'm not knocking Tubbs either but Dallas is Tubbs strength. The local HS coaches got him this job and they need to keep supporting him every bit as hard as they did then. The top Dallas players is how we will end up judging Tubbs success as a recruiter.
The physical comparison is what I am talking about with Bamba vs Rack. I've not seen Bamba play but the stats on this board are not all that impressive. I understand he is fairly new to the US game and maybe we'll see him step right in but without a lot of muscle gain, he won't. I'm not comparing him to Bol like some here are. I'm just saying a 7' guy who weighs somewhere between 190 & 225 lbs isn't a huge pysical presence and will be pushed around. Let's hope he has a great work ethic and puts on the strength it will take to be a great player at SMU. I like the fact that we have a 7' guy who at least has potential.

[Stallion]

actually he probably will be more accurately judged by how he recruits local AAU teams like Team Texas of which Falls is indeed a member. Get 2-3 superstars from the local AAU teams and then you got something. Recruiting season essentially ends before HS Basketball season starts.

[OldPony]

Now you've started to split hairs, Stallion. The local AAU teams are made up of the local HS players. My guess is that the HS coaches will still hold the most sway but I'm sure that there are AAU coaches who will be extremely important too. From whatever source, Dallas HS players are where Tubbs will be made or broken- unless he can show a masterful job of coaching slightly better than mediocre talent. There are some who have done that but they are very rare.

[Stallion]

yep it might be splitting hairs but its a point worth making. I understand that the true evaluation of most of these kids is really made when they compete against the BEST-not in District 11-5a etc. ie the competition in the quality AAU games is much higher than in even the best high school rivalries. Look at Team Texas-with Eaton, Flowers, Terrell Harris, TJ Miles and Darrell Arthur. There is not a High School Team in America that has talent that would come close to that. In high school you might compete against 1-2 Division 1A prospects while in AAU you might be competing against a whole team of Division 1A prospects including a few superstars.

[OldPony]

I think you are talking about evaluating the talent. I'm talking about how you get them. It's the HS coaches who are your friends that talk you up as a good coach and teacher. These guys all think they can be pros so the HS coaches have to be convinced that JT can get these kids to the Bigs and teach them what it takes. National exposure is still very hard to overcome but it only takes one (maybe an occasional 2nd) real stud every year. I'm optimistic but this year and next are extremely important for Tubbs as a coach and a recruiter. Give them a style of ball that they want to play (Dement's shortcoming) and win with it (tough job without the horses).

[Hoop Fan]

OP, the top 30 reference appears to be from August of 2003, August 29 to be specific. His stock might have fallen some since then, but I tried to give the link to Hoopscoop below. Its the same thing that someone else quoted on the basketball page.

I think you are making too much of the Virginia connection. Like others have said, this guy plays for Team Texas and is listed as being from Plano. It seems his dad works for the Mavericks in scouting, so my guess is they keep a residence here in the Dallas area. Don't underestimate the influence of AAU coaches either, they have unfortunately become more important and influential than high school coaches in a lot of situations. I know Jimmy Tubbs participates with the head of Team Texas, Wes Grandstaff, in camps. Those are important relationships. This is not some random recruit that got pulled in from Virginia. But I agree, we need to supplement this commitment with some bread and butter local ballers. Kevin Rogers would be a good start.




http://www.hoopscooponline.com/members/ ... aches.html[url]

[OldPony]

Maybe your right. I hope so. The link didn't work but thanks for trying.

[EastStang]

Lefty Driesell had a long and prosperous career at Maryland recruiting in DC and Baltimore. Rumor has it, he couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag, but had such superior talent that he won more games than he lost in the ACC. Local ties help. Every high school coach in the DC area has a Lefty story to tell. John Thompson also worked that same crowd. I saw him at many high school tournaments talking to coaches, and everyone knew when he entered a gym. At 6'10" he was hard to miss.