This thread is lame.
Why does it seem that no one gets it? You go after the best players you can and see how many you can get. Thats what you do. If that doesn't work out, then you make decisions based on who is left. You don't target juco guys to sign because they have a chance to be rotation players. Seriously, is it hard to find a guy that can give you 10-12 minutes a game? I generally appreciate abd's contrarian point of view, but I don't get the obsession with over-valuing average players, just like I don't get his praise on the NBA board for teams acquiring guys like Zach Randolph or Carlos Delfino. Obtaining a competent player is not something that elevates a team.
That said, most of the other guys that are hating on abd in this thread are off too. It isn't "sign 5 top-100 guys or else" mentality either. Its great that we are in on so many talented players, and while I disagree with abd that it is unrealistic or naive to think OU could land multiple high-level recruits, just because they all like you and list you till the end doesn't mean you are guaranteed to sign even one of them. I think people around here are really setting themselves up for disappointment with Cameron Clark. Capel is doing everything right with him, and sure, things look promising. But the kid plays everything so close to the vest, no one really knows who the favorites are with him.
Everyone always thinks they know why we can or can't get certain players, but I don't think we are any more or less likely to get Cameron Clark than we are to get Terrance Jones, Doron Lamb, Josh Smith, Tobias Harris, Harrison Barnes or Ray McCallum. But you guys already have it all figured out...Jones and Smith aren't coming here from the west coast, Lamb and Harris aren't coming here from the east coast, Ray McCallum is scared to death of TMG and Harrison Barnes is just too good to want to play at OU. But Cam is from Texas, and he's good, but not too good, and his best friend in the whole world is TJ Taylor because they play AAU ball together, so he is more likely to come here.
Don't get me wrong, I know I am overstating things. But it isn't that far from being accurate. And I know how it is to follow recruiting...you can only know so much, so you get accustomed to reading certain signs to figure out what may happen. And as far as reading the terrain, of the 4 legit recruits from last season's class (excluding Hardrick), TMG is the only one anyone really saw coming. Coincidentally, he is the only one who was close regionally and seemed like he would step into a glaring area of need. Everyone seems pretty happy with those four guys, but no one took Gallon, Fitz or Pledger seriously, yet here they are.
I just think we should all take a deep breath and realize that just because the #99 ranked kid in the country chose Virginia doesn't mean the sky is falling or that anything has even changed at all. Capel has brought some pretty good players in the last three seasons and I'm sure he'll do just fine this year too. I think Capel may be of the opinion that it is better to have a few really good players than a lot of average ones. If so, I tend to agree with him.
