2021 Recruiting

[GMUgemini]

Yeah the Final Four and the 2010-2011 team are two of the best teams Mason has ever had, and I assure you they would have been fine in the A10 in any of the years. And like Jim said they did it without 4 star recruits etc. Just about everything you wanted out of a team (ball handling, rebounding, defense, size, shooters) they had.

Interestingly enough, Sammy Hernandez was the highest rated recruit on the 2005-2006 team, followed by Jesus Urbina, and Makan Konate was ranked around the same as Gabe Norwood (about 10 spots lower on the position ranking nationally).

I think part of the point is: if you aren't going to go out and recruit like vcu does now, you've got to have a system in place where players can develop without the pressure of having to play right away, so that you've got a pipeline. Davidson has largely had this. GMU, ODU, and vcu had this going in late stage CAA (the 2004-2012 years).

You could construct a very good Mason team out of the component parts of Paulsen's recruits/players if you got them together at their peak:

Otis (junior year), Marquise (senior year), Kier (junior year), Grayer (sophomore year), AJ (junior and hopefully senior year), Jenkins (senior year) as a six man rotation would be damn good.

The problem is, he's never gotten it put together and so we're always shoving freshmen out there too early, relying in particular players to shoulder too much of the load, injuries screwing up a season, or having a big missing piece in a roster (always in the front-court).

I would love it if Paulsen could recruit better so that we could have more polished, A-10 ready players from the start and develop some kind of a pipeline going forward, but outside of AJ, Mar, and you could say Kolek (edit: going to add Otis Frazier to this list now that I see UMass apparently offered him -- we are using minimum of other A-10 level offers as "winning a battle" I'm assuming?), we haven't won that many recruiting battles.

If this season does come off, it'll be the first time (depending on how you feel about Oduro starting) that we've got a starting 5 who should all be able to play at their best position. Hopefully it translates to some success on the court.

 

[G M U]

Interestingly enough, Sammy Hernandez was the highest rated recruit on the 2005-2006 team, followed by Jesus Urbina, and Makan Konate was ranked around the same as Gabe Norwood (about 10 spots lower on the position ranking nationally).

I think part of the point is: if you aren't going to go out and recruit like vcu does now, you've got to have a system in place where players can develop without the pressure of having to play right away, so that you've got a pipeline. Davidson has largely had this. GMU, ODU, and vcu had this going in late stage CAA (the 2004-2012 years).

You could construct a very good Mason team out of the component parts of Paulsen's recruits/players if you got them together at their peak:

Otis (junior year), Marquise (senior year), Kier (junior year), Grayer (sophomore year), AJ (junior and hopefully senior year), Jenkins (senior year) as a six man rotation would be damn good.

The problem is, he's never gotten it put together and so we're always shoving freshmen out there too early, relying in particular players to shoulder too much of the load, injuries screwing up a season, or having a big missing piece in a roster (always in the front-court).

I would love it if Paulsen could recruit better so that we could have more polished, A-10 ready players from the start and develop some kind of a pipeline going forward, but outside of AJ, Mar, and you could say Kolek (edit: going to add Otis Frazier to this list now that I see UMass apparently offered him -- we are using minimum of other A-10 level offers as "winning a battle" I'm assuming?), we haven't won that many recruiting battles.

If this season does come off, it'll be the first time (depending on how you feel about Oduro starting) that we've got a starting 5 who should all be able to play at their best position. Hopefully it translates to some success on the court.

Could you not construct a very good {insert any college program} team out of the component parts of any coaches best players at their peak over the course of a 5 year stretch (2 of which the coach inherited)?

 

[tblack33]

Yo that's not a hot take, that's a BLISTERING take. It's one I'm also willing to bet you take back when you think about it

I sat on this for a day, and while it's still a blistering take, I still kind of stand by it. Maybe a little overstated on the top 3 part, but I stand by the sentiment.

I know it's pretty much sacrilege to suggest anything like that on these boards, and for good reason, but I've rewatched most of the games from that season that are available online and while they were clearly a great team, I still don't think they were more talented than the 10-11 team. A less talented team can get hot at the right time and beat better teams, it happens every year. It's different when you have to bang with a higher level of talent night in night out than just seeing teams in a one off game where anything can happen. Hell, it's kind of the reason that team didn't run the table in the CAA that year. We lost to less talented teams that had seen us before and were better prepared, and I think that team playing in a more talented league would have struggled in league play with more talented teams seeing them multiple times and having time to plan around them. That's not saying they weren't great, it's just weighing the differences between pure talent and getting hot. That team was a good team that got hot at the right time.

Now back to your regularly scheduled recruit bashing. Are we still talking about Jim's wiener?

 

[tblack33]

Could you not construct a very good {insert any college program} team out of the component parts of any coaches best players at their peak over the course of a 5 year stretch (2 of which the coach inherited)?

You could put together a solid roster for Fordham over the same stretch, who is one of the few A10 coaches who has recruited and coached at a lower level than Paulsen over the same stretch.

 

[mkaufman1]

I sat on this for a day, and while it's still a blistering take, I still kind of stand by it. Maybe a little overstated on the top 3 part, but I stand by the sentiment.

I know it's pretty much sacrilege to suggest anything like that on these boards, and for good reason, but I've rewatched most of the games from that season that are available online and while they were clearly a great team, I still don't think they were more talented than the 10-11 team. A less talented team can get hot at the right time and beat better teams, it happens every year. It's different when you have to bang with a higher level of talent night in night out than just seeing teams in a one off game where anything can happen. Hell, it's kind of the reason that team didn't run the table in the CAA that year. We lost to less talented teams that had seen us before and were better prepared, and I think that team playing in a more talented league would have struggled in league play with more talented teams seeing them multiple times and having time to plan around them. That's not saying they weren't great, it's just weighing the differences between pure talent and getting hot. That team was a good team that got hot at the right time.

Now back to your regularly scheduled recruit bashing. Are we still talking about Jim's wiener?

Actually- you aren't the only one who always said 2010-2011 was more talented than the Final Four team. I actually am a firm believer in that. That team was destined for a sweet 16 run until Cornelius tweeted, vcu got very motivated, Mason lost in Richmond and the NCAA decided "Mason isn't a 5 seed, they are a 9, and the weakest 9, so lets put them with Ohio State".

That team though, was built up over a few recruiting classes, you had KRAM as freshmen in 08, and then the 6 recruits in 09 that were considered the #1 MidMajor class in America. Funny enough I don't think the highest rated of the 09 class ended up being the best but I could be wrong.

I'm still bitter and I'll forever wonder "what if".

So back to recruiting, wondering when Darius will release his top 3.

 

[p8triotfan4life]

If somehow we can get Darius Johnson and Reynolds to both commit to GMU, I'd be seriously interested in signing Paulsen to a new 3-year extension. It is evident that Reynolds/Johnson are good friends on twitter as well....Love the Gadsden commitment.

 

[gmujim92]

If somehow we can get Darius Johnson and Reynolds to both commit to GMU, I'd be seriously interested in signing Paulsen to a new 3-year extension. It is evident that Reynolds/Johnson are good friends on twitter as well....Love the Gadsden commitment.

I think even @sleeperpick would take that deal

 

[Herndon]

I sat on this for a day, and while it's still a blistering take, I still kind of stand by it. Maybe a little overstated on the top 3 part, but I stand by the sentiment.

I know it's pretty much sacrilege to suggest anything like that on these boards, and for good reason, but I've rewatched most of the games from that season that are available online and while they were clearly a great team, I still don't think they were more talented than the 10-11 team. A less talented team can get hot at the right time and beat better teams, it happens every year. It's different when you have to bang with a higher level of talent night in night out than just seeing teams in a one off game where anything can happen. Hell, it's kind of the reason that team didn't run the table in the CAA that year. We lost to less talented teams that had seen us before and were better prepared, and I think that team playing in a more talented league would have struggled in league play with more talented teams seeing them multiple times and having time to plan around them. That's not saying they weren't great, it's just weighing the differences between pure talent and getting hot. That team was a good team that got hot at the right time.

Now back to your regularly scheduled recruit bashing. Are we still talking about Jim's wiener?

You know what? I respect your opinion enough that I'm willing to go back and rewatch those games and assess my own memories.

It will also be fun

 

[sleeperpick]

I think even @sleeperpick would take that deal

I can safely say I would be extremely torn. would need Darius and Reynolds to commit to all 4 years lol

 

[GMUgemini]

I
different when you have to bang with a higher level of talent night in night out than just seeing teams in a one off game where anything can happen. Hell, it's kind of the reason that team didn't run the table in the CAA that year. We lost to less talented teams that had seen us

Actually- you aren't the only one who always said 2010-2011 was more talented than the Final Four team. I actually am a firm believer in that. That team was destined for a sweet 16 run until Cornelius tweeted, vcu got very motivated, Mason lost in Richmond and the NCAA decided "Mason isn't a 5 seed, they are a 9, and the weakest 9, so lets put them with Ohio State".

That team though, was built up over a few recruiting classes, you had KRAM as freshmen in 08, and then the 6 recruits in 09 that were considered the #1 MidMajor class in America. Funny enough I don't think the highest rated of the 09 class ended up being the best but I could be wrong.

I'm still bitter and I'll forever wonder "what if".

So back to recruiting, wondering when Darius will release his top 3.

Sherrod Wright was the highest rated recruit in 09. He turned out to be a pretty good one. But he also has the misfortune of being in the same class as Luke Hancock, who was our lowest rated recruit that year.

 

[mkaufman1]

Sherrod Wright was the highest rated recruit in 09. He turned out to be a pretty good one. But he also has the misfortune of being in the same class as Luke Hancock, who was our lowest rated recruit that year.

Ah ok. I thought Bennett was the highest rated. He might have been 2nd. It wasn't that he was a bad player, he just wasn't as good as Wright or Hancock, obviously IMO.

 

[The Great PATSby]

Ah ok. I thought Bennett was the highest rated. He might have been 2nd. It wasn't that he was a bad player, he just wasn't as good as Wright or Hancock, obviously IMO.

2009 ESPN Ratings
Sherrod 89
Johnnie Williams 89
Whack 86
Hancock N/A
Vertrail 85
Paris 83

 

[mkaufman1]

2009 ESPN Ratings
Sherrod 89
Johnnie Williams 89
Whack 86
Hancock N/A
Vertrail 85
Paris 83

Thanks. So Sherrod ended up being one of the best of the class (with Hancock obviously). The highest and lowest oddly enough. Lol.

 

[GMUgemini]

Ah ok. I thought Bennett was the highest rated. He might have been 2nd. It wasn't that he was a bad player, he just wasn't as good as Wright or Hancock, obviously IMO.

I always wondered what would have happened to Johnny Williams and Paris Bennett had Coach L stayed, Williams especially.

 

[gmujim92]

I always wondered what would have happened to Johnny Williams and Paris Bennett had Coach L stayed, Williams especially.

Johnny would’ve transferred. His family hated L because he kept Johnny glued to the bench. I sat near them at a couple games and they didn’t try to conceal their feelings one bit.

 

[sleeperpick]

Johnny would’ve transferred. His family hated L because he kept Johnny glued to the bench. I sat near them at a couple games and they didn’t try to conceal their feelings one bit.

ehhh thats just your thought.. Javon and Aj's fam don't seem to like Paulsen very much and they both came back

 

[GMUgemini]

Johnny would’ve transferred. His family hated L because he kept Johnny glued to the bench. I sat near them a couple times and they didn’t try to conceal their feelings one bit.

Tough to get in when you're sitting behind Pearson and Morrison, and then Jonathan Arledge came in in 2010, so I could definitely see that.

 

[gmujim92]

ehhh thats just your thought.. Javon and Aj's fam don't seem to like Paulsen very much and they both came back

The difference is Johnny was buried on the depth chart. He had no path to playing time until Hewitt came and moved Pearson away from the basket.

 

[FreeGunston12]

2009 ESPN Ratings
Sherrod 89
Johnnie Williams 89
Whack 86
Hancock N/A
Vertrail 85
Paris 83

I don't think you can trust going back and looking at ESPN ratings in retrospect - weren't they caught editing their ratings after the fact a few years ago? I'm trying to find the article.

Similarly, how it used to be that a guy would sign with us and immediately drop in rankings. It's why I take the whole stars argument with a grain of salt still.

 

[sleeperpick]

I don't think you can trust going back and looking at ESPN ratings in retrospect - weren't they caught editing their ratings after the fact a few years ago? I'm trying to find the article.

Similarly, how it used to be that a guy would sign with us and immediately drop in rankings. It's why I take the whole stars argument with a grain of salt still.

In the grand scheme of things you are correct stars don’t matter. Winning kids consistently to mt st Mary’s and Towson while losing kids to Rhode Island , st joes and umass is the issue. Stars or not.