247Sports: OU basketball thriving on 3-star recruits

[SoonerTraveler]

Interesting read over at 247Sports / OUInsider.com

Oklahoma basketball thriving on three-star recruits
by Jerry Meyer

http://oklahoma.247sports.com/Board...ball-thriving-on-three-star-recruits-43139311

 

[BoulderSooner]

of course part of this is narrative ... per espn.com buddy was 4 star as was lattin bufford james and odomes

spangler and Woodard were high 3 stars ...

 

[BigTime]

of course part of this is narrative ... per espn.com buddy was 4 star as was lattin bufford james and odomes

spangler and Woodard were high 3 stars ...

None of them were highly rated guys wanted by the usual blue bloods.

James would have been had he not got hurt. Lattin hurt his stock by leaving the country. Jordan would of if he was his brother's height.

Narrative fits just fine.

 

[WTSooner]

The only problem with living off of mostly 3 stars, is you have to wait until they are Jr/Sr types before they can win you a conference title or take you to the FF. And you probably have to get lucky and have one of them turn into a Buddy Hield.

Still, it's a solid way to build a program as both Kelvin and Lon have shown.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Are the reported "recruiting class rankings" in the article accurate for the various OU recruiting classes? I have no idea. Recruiting rankings have always seemed so nebulous to me.

 

[BoulderSooner]

None of them were highly rated guys wanted by the usual blue bloods.

James would have been had he not got hurt. Lattin hurt his stock by leaving the country. Jordan would of if he was his brother's height.

Narrative fits just fine.

all the guys I listed had multi power conf offers ...

 

[BoulderSooner]

Are the reported "recruiting class rankings" in the article accurate for the various OU recruiting classes? I have no idea. Recruiting rankings have always seemed so nebulous to me.

they are correct per 247 sports .... our classes were much higher rated per yahoosports and espn

and you are correct they are nebulous

 

[DenverSooner]

The only problem with living off of mostly 3 stars, is you have to wait until they are Jr/Sr types before they can win you a conference title or take you to the FF. And you probably have to get lucky and have one of them turn into a Buddy Hield.

Still, it's a solid way to build a program as both Kelvin and Lon have shown.

It also leads to four star recruits. The last guys to sign are a step up from the first couple of classes on paper. It will be tough to be better than Hield, Cousins and Spangler on the court.

Just imagine if Hornbeak had bought in like the other three and worked just as hard. He would also be a very good college basketball player.

 

[coolm]

I actually prefer my basketball this way.

I would rather see a cyclical pattern of success with guys who stay 4-5 years because fans grow with the team. Sure it's nice to be a contender every year, but it seems rather fascist. Plus you really get to where you have no investment in the team. When you've grown and suffered with your group then it becomes more personal and meaningful.

 

[DenverSooner]

Of course it is possible to have continued success with four year players. You just need guys that are willing to be role players as freshman and sophomores and then starters as juniors and seniors.

 

[Larry72]

I actually prefer my basketball this way.

I would rather see a cyclical pattern of success with guys who stay 4-5 years because fans grow with the team. Sure it's nice to be a contender every year, but it seems rather fascist. Plus you really get to where you have no investment in the team. When you've grown and suffered with your group then it becomes more personal and meaningful.

Well stated.
Team chemistry is very important. The one and done recruiting schools can't have the same chemistry that OU has.

 

[hoopsaustin]

I actually prefer my basketball this way.

I would rather see a cyclical pattern of success with guys who stay 4-5 years because fans grow with the team. Sure it's nice to be a contender every year, but it seems rather fascist. Plus you really get to where you have no investment in the team. When you've grown and suffered with your group then it becomes more personal and meaningful.

Nah.. I'll take success every year... :facepalm

 

[okccpa]

Per 247sports. I assume this means they are primarily averaged between major recruiting sites (ESPN, Rivals, Scout, 247)

247Sports Composite Rating

The 247Sports Composite Rating is a proprietary algorithm that compiles prospect "rankings" and "ratings" listed in the public domain by the major media recruiting services. It converts average industry ranks and ratings into a linear composite index capping at 1.0000, which indicates a consensus No. 1 prospect across all services.

The 247Sports Composite Rating is the industry's most comprehensive and unbiased prospect ranking and is also used to generate 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings.

More details ...

All major media services share an equal percentage in the 247Sports Composite Rating.

The composite index equally weights this percentage among the services that participate in a ranking for that specific prospect.

 

[furge]

Lon, Steve, Lew, and Crutch are all excellent talent evaluators. They're consistently getting right what scouting services aren't. It's exciting every time a prospect pops up with an OU lean who hasn't been talked up nationally much because it feels like a gold strike with the track record they hold.

I think that player development and culture development feed off each other. Get a bunch of three - star gym rats in as freshmen, make them want to run through a brick wall for the program, and they'll outdo blue chips looking to spend a year in your colors and then collect a pro jersey.

 

[coolm]

as a matter of fact ... I would use this newest spark of success to get the best of the 3 and 4 stars who will be at school for 4-5.

 

[CMSOONER]

Just imagine if Hornbeak had bought in like the other three and worked just as hard. He would also be a very good college basketball player.

Jelon was suspended from Monmoth indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team. Not sure the back story, but If he had stayed I feel he would have been a cancer within the program.

 

[bgrch1350]

Jelon was suspended from Monmoth indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team. Not sure the back story, but If he had stayed I feel he would have been a cancer within the program.

I think he would have been fine. Him, Cousins and Hield would have been a strong group of seniors. He would have been the 6th man and a good one. And if he was here and he got into trouble, I don't think our record would look any different which means he wouldn't be a cancer.

 

[hoopsaustin]

Jelon was suspended from Monmoth indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team. Not sure the back story, but If he had stayed I feel he would have been a cancer within the program.

This

 

[bgrch1350]

Jelon was suspended from Monmoth indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team. Not sure the back story, but If he had stayed I feel he would have been a cancer within the program.

I don't know when he was suspended indefinitely but he played in their last game and he hasn't been a cancer yet. Matter of fact, He may not be the best player on the team but his first year playing for them, they are having one of their best seasons ever. So if he can help Monmouth have one of their best seasons ever, having him on our team would only make us better and deeper.

 

[sperry]

Teams with good backcourts that have played a long time together tend to be very good, and very tough outs in March. It's rare that you get a group of guys that are really good players, but not quite good enough to leave early. But when you do, you end up with some magic. The '04 Illinois team that made it to the championship game and some of those mid aughts Villanova teams that made the final four are the closest comparisons to this team.