Very High Recommendation for Richmond Vilde

[PonyDoh]

You can spin the TK thing anyway you want. I call it very poor recruiting.

If I recall correctly, TK had offers from both Baylor and Virginia. Also offered by George Washington. That was right after GW made their great NCAA BB run and their fans were wondering why TK would select SMU over them.

I don't recall ANYONE saying it was poor recruiting at the time.

You are right. He did have a couple of good offers and some interest from a lot of quality programs. He was a solid bigman project to take on. Often bigs don't pan out. That is why they are projects. I would contend he was more highly regarded than Rack coming out of HS and who knows when comparing him and Bamba. I would give Bamba the edge based on being at Oak Hill, although TK may have been more highly "rated."

Bamba was a laugher coming out of Oak Hill, no offense to the kid. He rarely saw the court, and his ship was really just a matter of SEEDs being a Dallas based in some ways. Don't confuse him w/being a legit prospect, just b/c he went to Oak Hill. Oak Hill has 5 players or so, every single year, that can't really play, but serve a roll.

TK had late offers in the Spring, which is nothing like Fall offers. Call it the Jai Lucas effect of average players being bumped up in rankings and offers, just by being available come Spring. TK didn't even make national top 250 lists. He was a huge project that provided an able practice player, that we knew would graduate. Those of you expecting actual statistical impact were somewhat misguided. Check out the Lee Academy's coach, and his comments about both TK & Vilde coming out. They couldn't be more different. Vilde is for real, TK was just a big [deleted] project, and his coach said as much.

All that said, 7 man classes are silly, something we all know. Interesting to see Bennie Rhodes rated as a top 150 JUCO this year

[papawasamustang]

TK had late offers in the Spring, which is nothing like Fall offers. Call it the Jai Lucas effect of average players being bumped up in rankings and offers, just by being available come Spring. TK didn't even make national top 250 lists. He was a huge project that provided an able practice player, that we knew would graduate. Those of you expecting actual statistical impact were somewhat misguided. Check out the Lee Academy's coach, and his comments about both TK & Vilde coming out. They couldn't be more different. Vilde is for real, TK was just a big [deleted] project, and his coach said as much.][/quote]

Doh, you are a piece of work. Your boys should really look into hiring you as their PR person.
Love the spin on the graduation rate thing. Bottom line, Doh missed badly on this evaluation.

"We are thrilled to sign Tomasz as we needed another big man in this class," state Doherty. "Tomasz can run and catch very well. He has a terrific feel of the game that is evident in his ability to pass the ball. In time, I think he has a chance to be a very good post player for SMU."

I guess the key quote is " in time". Maybe TK will bust out in conference play or be another IKE, coming out his senior season. Don't think so.

Here's hoping that things work out for Vilde. If they don't, I'll be waiting for the 10-13 man on the roster, improve graduation rate spin, etc..

[PonyDoh]

TK had late offers in the Spring, which is nothing like Fall offers. Call it the Jai Lucas effect of average players being bumped up in rankings and offers, just by being available come Spring. TK didn't even make national top 250 lists. He was a huge project that provided an able practice player, that we knew would graduate. Those of you expecting actual statistical impact were somewhat misguided. Check out the Lee Academy's coach, and his comments about both TK & Vilde coming out. They couldn't be more different. Vilde is for real, TK was just a big [deleted] project, and his coach said as much.]

Doh, you are a piece of work. Your boys should really look into hiring you as their PR person.
Love the spin on the graduation rate thing. Bottom line, Doh missed badly on this evaluation.

"We are thrilled to sign Tomasz as we needed another big man in this class," state Doherty. "Tomasz can run and catch very well. He has a terrific feel of the game that is evident in his ability to pass the ball. In time, I think he has a chance to be a very good post player for SMU."

I guess the key quote is " in time". Maybe TK will bust out in conference play or be another IKE, coming out his senior season. Don't think so.

Here's hoping that things work out for Vilde. If they don't, I'll be waiting for the 10-13 man on the roster, improve graduation rate spin, etc..[/quote]

LOL, you just used a signing day quote, which is pretty much written by PR people. Look at what his high school coach said about him all along, then find rankings on the kid, or Fall offers, that made you think he was legit. If you don't think certain kids are brought in, just for upside(in this case size) and to graduate, you're crazy. Welcome to roster planning 101!

Maryland, one of my other boostering interests, just signed a 6'8 big, whose final list was Maryland, Rice, Houston etc. Terp fans, at first, were quite displeased w/the kids level of interest other then Maryland. What they didn't grasp is the kid is being brought in to possibly contribute as a junior/senior, maybe. The reality is that if he doesn't perform by the end of his freshman year, they'll recruit over him. The other reality is they won't force him out, b/c he's a straight A student. At no point in time, when roster planning, did/do they consider him a potential starter or impact kid. He's a rotation kid as an upperclassman, maybe. Sometimes you take a flyer on a kid that has upside, especially if they have great grades/scores. Ultimately, that's what's happened w/TK.

You follow recruiting...did you honestly think SMU had found a 7 foot plus center, late in the Spring of his senior year, that had been on american soil for upwards of a year, that was a difference-maker? Sometimes you roll the dice

[MustangIcon]

Doh, you are a piece of work. Your boys should really look into hiring you as their PR person.
Love the spin on the graduation rate thing. Bottom line, Doh missed badly on this evaluation.

"We are thrilled to sign Tomasz as we needed another big man in this class," state Doherty. "Tomasz can run and catch very well. He has a terrific feel of the game that is evident in his ability to pass the ball. In time, I think he has a chance to be a very good post player for SMU."

This is coach speak for "We are using 7 'ships on this class so we are going to use 1 of them on a 7ft project." What do you expect him to say about TK when he signed? That he has a small chance of contributing and that flyers on 7 footers don't work out very often? His quote from when TK signed has NOTHING to do with Doh's evaluation of him, and you know that papa.

Also, 7 footers that are likely significant contributors don't end up at mid-major schools. If you have a 7footer that is not considerd to be a project or longshot to contribute then they are playing big-time college hoops. Be realistic.

[MustangIcon]

LOL, you just used a signing day quote, which is pretty much written by PR people. Look at what his high school coach said about him all along, then find rankings on the kid, or Fall offers, that made you think he was legit. If you don't think certain kids are brought in, just for upside(in this case size) and to graduate, you're crazy. Welcome to roster planning 101!

You follow recruiting...did you honestly think SMU had found a 7 foot plus center, late in the Spring of his senior year, that had been on american soil for upwards of a year, that was a difference-maker? Sometimes you roll the dice

Oops. I was typing while you had just posted this, I guess. These two paragraphs for the most part parallel my thinking on this one.

[papawasamustang]

TK is a bust. The 7 in his recruiting class are busts to this point & Doh is a bust.
Maybe RN & Dia can change that recruiting class from a bust to a huge disappointment but that's about as good as its going to get. Speaking of big men, JO must have been another really bad evaluation for Doh to pull his ride & go with another bust in Luttman. This coaching staff gets a "F' when it comes to bigs. Maybe they finally hit a home run with Vilde.

Spin this. 35 W's. 60 L's.
10-38 in conference.
No road wins last season.
Finished next to last, next to last & last in conference during his circus.

U keep believing in Doh & I'll keep hoping for a new HC asap.

[MustangIcon]

TK is a bust. The 7 in his recruiting class are busts to this point & Doh is a bust.
Maybe RN & Dia can change that recruiting class from a bust to a huge disappointment but that's about as good as its going to get. Speaking of big men, JO must have been another really bad evaluation for Doh to pull his ride & go with another bust in Luttman. This coaching staff gets a "F' when it comes to bigs. Maybe they finally hit a home run with Vilde.

Spin this. 35 W's. 60 L's.
10-38 in conference.
No road wins last season.
Finished next to last, next to last & last in conference during his circus.

U keep believing in Doh & I'll keep hoping for a new HC asap.

No one is arguing that Doh's record has been good or that his development of players has been good. In fact, on the basketball board I have a couple of posts outlining what I claim as evidence of the fact that he has thus far FAILED in developing his players and turning the talent he has brought in to be a winner. However, TK was from the very begining a project.

What I AM arguing is that when a team of SMU's caliber brings in a 7-footer, the likliehood of such 7-footer ever being a significant contributor is not very high. And I think there are tons of 6'10+ projects that sign with schools every year, with the school hoping they can develop them into a player, that never pan out. That is not unique to only SMU.