Basketball recruiting: USF is really struggling

[The Great 8]

To keep it short...the spring signing period is coming up soon and we aren't a serious contender to land anybody of note. The staff looks to have all but given up on going after somewhat known talent. It looks like the focus has shift to turning over as many rocks as they can in hopes of finding a few hidden gems. Any BE school that has to recruit like they are in the Sunbelt or the MAAC will find it hard to just compete never mind win games.

Also I don't even know if Robertson is still committed to USF. Right now the best player we have coming in next season is Showtime Haynes. :

We get it....you don't like Coach heath, but ever since your early january rant how this team will never win games with Coach Heath, all they have done is prove your wrong. Coach Heath was known as  a great recruiter. Once the facilities are in place recruiting will get better. We should also see more interest for next year's class b/c of our season this year.

Relax...give the man time to build this thing. It was a complete reclamation project.

Not to but in, but you have no clue what you are talking about. I have never heard Vega say he doesn't like Heath. I've heard the exact opposite.

Actually, I disagree. He's expressed a lot of disdain for Heath in the recent past. Toward the beginning of Big East play (when we were like 0-4) he was saying we recruit a certain sort of athlete and then play the game differently than we ought to (i.e. halfcourt) and was harping on various other things.

Not that I disagree with Vega's assessments but he's was/is pretty open in his displeasure with things.

[Jamie]

Hey Vega, check your PMs... I had an idea to ask you about.

[Triple B]

To keep it short...the spring signing period is coming up soon and we aren't a serious contender to land anybody of note. The staff looks to have all but given up on going after somewhat known talent. It looks like the focus has shift to turning over as many rocks as they can in hopes of finding a few hidden gems. Any BE school that has to recruit like they are in the Sunbelt or the MAAC will find it hard to just compete never mind win games.

Also I don't even know if Robertson is still committed to USF. Right now the best player we have coming in next season is Showtime Haynes. :

We get it....you don't like Coach heath, but ever since your early january rant how this team will never win games with Coach Heath, all they have done is prove your wrong. Coach Heath was known as  a great recruiter. Once the facilities are in place recruiting will get better. We should also see more interest for next year's class b/c of our season this year.

Relax...give the man time to build this thing. It was a complete reclamation project.

Not to but in, but you have no clue what you are talking about. I have never heard Vega say he doesn't like Heath. I've heard the exact opposite.

He doesn't have to come out and say those words to get his point across ... and it's not dislike Heath on a personal level, I don't think.

[Held_AccountaBull]

To keep it short...the spring signing period is coming up soon and we aren't a serious contender to land anybody of note. The staff looks to have all but given up on going after somewhat known talent. It looks like the focus has shift to turning over as many rocks as they can in hopes of finding a few hidden gems. Any BE school that has to recruit like they are in the Sunbelt or the MAAC will find it hard to just compete never mind win games.

Also I don't even know if Robertson is still committed to USF. Right now the best player we have coming in next season is Showtime Haynes. :

We get it....you don't like Coach heath, but ever since your early january rant how this team will never win games with Coach Heath, all they have done is prove your wrong. Coach Heath was known as  a great recruiter. Once the facilities are in place recruiting will get better. We should also see more interest for next year's class b/c of our season this year.

Relax...give the man time to build this thing. It was a complete reclamation project.

Not to but in, but you have no clue what you are talking about. I have never heard Vega say he doesn't like Heath. I've heard the exact opposite.

He doesn't have to come out and say those words to get his point across ... and it's not dislike Heath on a personal level, I don't think.

I could be wrong, but I seem to remember Vega coming out once and saying he has no problem with Heath. Vega can clarify.

[CousinRicky]

In Basketball, it really should not be all that difficult to recruit. All you need are 4 to 5 good to above average players. Overall, I think facilities and other explanations in this thread are just excuses. Based on our success this year, we should have some momentum going and not striking out on EVERY SINGLE TARGET.

I thought Jeremy Cox and Eric Skeeters were brought in as new Assistant Coaches for their ability to RECRUIT. Last year, Vega and others complained the previous Assistants could not recruit. Well, the old ones actually did BETTER getting Famous, etc. The new assistants are not getting it done. Why did they waste all that time recruiting all those Baltimore kids?

Why don't they just concentrate on good Florida players, rather than striking out all over the Northeast!

Recruiting is all about enthusiasm, passion and SELLING. Get out there coaches and RECRUIT!

No doubt about it, if it were all about facilities and money Oregon would win the national championship every year. 

all about selling an idea, showing you are building a team and yes selling the amenities your university AND city offers. 

nothing truer than all you need is 4 to 5 good players.  you see that when you watch teams like Butler, N. Iowa, Xavier, Cornell, etc.  Its not luck, its not a fluke when these teams achieve.  its a coach with a philosophy and being able to plug his players and styles into it.

we never can get it going here.  I blame it on the conference a lot but Im pretty sure we had butlers schedule we wouldnt have 29 wins and easily make the tournament every year.   

Maybe part of that is changing coaches every 4 years.  I believe BCSH is a decent coach, decent guy and should be given another 4 years or so.  If you bring in any coach other than Coach K, Roy Williams, Izzo, Bill Self (you get the idea), they are going to have the same hard time selling recruits on USF basketball.  So why keep the coaching carousel going?  Give Heath some time to become known in the BE recruiting wars and to develop the program.

My take is neither he nor any run of the mill coach can bring USF Basketball to prominence.  We just need to get used to having an "also ran" program in basketball.  Lappas at St. Johns can sell playing at MSG and point to some history (although a long, long time ago).  You just don't have anything to work with at USF.

Excuse me? We just need to get used to having an "also ran" program in basketball? That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Fans of sports should never have to be used to being that kind of program or team. That's ridiculous.

The alternative is to be frustrated with the program.  Tell me, who do you bring it to turn it around?

Seth left and seems to be a pretty good coach and recruiter at a decent, but not great basketball school.  So, did he suddenly learn how to do those things when he left USF?

Heath was a pretty good coach before he got to USF.  Did he suddenly learn how not to coach when he got to USF? 

So, what is your answer to the basketball problem at USF given the history, financial constraints and being located in Florida (not a hotbed of BB talent)?

There are about 300 other Div I schools that are living with also ran programs.  It isn't like we have a birth right to great basketball at USF.  All those other program are hoping to do the same thing USF wants to do.

What makes USF stand out?  As others have asked, why would a top flight recruit rather come to USF than 'Nova, Georgetown, Syracuse, Kansas, UNC, Duke, etc?  Unless you can bring in a coach that has the star power to bring recruits no matter where he coaches (and there aren't many of them and we couldn't afford him) you can't attract those players.

The fact is, turning this basketball program around is next to impossible.  You can't shoot yourself over these things. 

[Vega]

To keep it short...the spring signing period is coming up soon and we aren't a serious contender to land anybody of note. The staff looks to have all but given up on going after somewhat known talent. It looks like the focus has shift to turning over as many rocks as they can in hopes of finding a few hidden gems. Any BE school that has to recruit like they are in the Sunbelt or the MAAC will find it hard to just compete never mind win games.

Also I don't even know if Robertson is still committed to USF. Right now the best player we have coming in next season is Showtime Haynes. :

We get it....you don't like Coach heath, but ever since your early january rant how this team will never win games with Coach Heath, all they have done is prove your wrong. Coach Heath was known as  a great recruiter. Once the facilities are in place recruiting will get better. We should also see more interest for next year's class b/c of our season this year.

Relax...give the man time to build this thing. It was a complete reclamation project.

Not to but in, but you have no clue what you are talking about. I have never heard Vega say he doesn't like Heath. I've heard the exact opposite.

He doesn't have to come out and say those words to get his point across ... and it's not dislike Heath on a personal level, I don't think.

I could be wrong, but I seem to remember Vega coming out once and saying he has no problem with Heath. Vega can clarify.

Stan knows of me but not as Vega. If he knew the man behind the username he would tell everyone on here that i am one of his biggest fans. He also knows me as well you all should. I give out praise when deserved and I also criticize when it is deserved. I have never said I don't like Heath. I did say that his slowdown halfcourt style wouldn't work with the players he had on the team and guess what? I was right because when USF attacked on offense they were pretty good. Heath came out and said this very thing himself.

I'm not always right but I give my opinion on things and try to back them up with facts to support my statements. If I don't like someone I have no problem stating that on here. Right now the concern is recruiting and anybody that doesn't think it's a big deal doesn't know college sports. Recruiting is the life blood of a program and we are losing precious blood at an alarming rate. It will be very disappointing if the program peaked this past season. That will be the case unless the coaches pick it up in a hurry.

[Held_AccountaBull]

To keep it short...the spring signing period is coming up soon and we aren't a serious contender to land anybody of note. The staff looks to have all but given up on going after somewhat known talent. It looks like the focus has shift to turning over as many rocks as they can in hopes of finding a few hidden gems. Any BE school that has to recruit like they are in the Sunbelt or the MAAC will find it hard to just compete never mind win games.

Also I don't even know if Robertson is still committed to USF. Right now the best player we have coming in next season is Showtime Haynes. :

We get it....you don't like Coach heath, but ever since your early january rant how this team will never win games with Coach Heath, all they have done is prove your wrong. Coach Heath was known as  a great recruiter. Once the facilities are in place recruiting will get better. We should also see more interest for next year's class b/c of our season this year.

Relax...give the man time to build this thing. It was a complete reclamation project.

Not to but in, but you have no clue what you are talking about. I have never heard Vega say he doesn't like Heath. I've heard the exact opposite.

He doesn't have to come out and say those words to get his point across ... and it's not dislike Heath on a personal level, I don't think.

I could be wrong, but I seem to remember Vega coming out once and saying he has no problem with Heath. Vega can clarify.

Stan knows of me but not as Vega. If he knew the man behind the username he would tell everyone on here that i am one of his biggest fans. He also knows me as well you all should. I give out praise when deserved and I also criticize when it is deserved. I have never said I don't like Heath. I did say that his slowdown halfcourt style wouldn't work with the players he had on the team and guess what? I was right because when USF attacked on offense they were pretty good. Heath came out and said this very thing himself.

I'm not always right but I give my opinion on things and try to back them up with facts to support my statements. If I don't like someone I have no problem stating that on here. Right now the concern is recruiting and anybody that doesn't think it's a big deal doesn't know college sports. Recruiting is the life blood of a program and we are losing precious blood at an alarming rate. It will be very disappointing if the program peaked this past season. That will be the case unless the coaches pick it up in a hurry.

I remember you saying something awhile back that you were a Heath supporter. Never doubted it. Thanks for clearing it up for the people who can't see that.

[Vega]

If we land a class of Showtime Haynes, Robertson, Poland, and Wright would that be acceptable for USF fans? These guys are the ones that will play here next year if we get them all. Austin and Dority will either redshirt or play very little as I project things right now.

Can Heath find us a tough inside player too? Are we out of the Melvin and Michael Haynes sweepstakes? I would love to get a BJ Ajayi type this spring, just a guy who is all about defense and rebounding but can finish at the rim when given the opportunity.

[theman123]

My friend had a good suggestion.  Knowing USF has lots of out of state/countyr players, he suggested the following.  If you look at the past few years, Clearwater High and Lakeland HS have had some exceptional teams.  Why not just cozy up to those coaches and take their top 1 - 2 players each year.  You would not have to travel out of state to make up a good team, just get them all from here, locally.

I think it could work.

Clearwater has one D-1 player this year.  After that, it is a bunch of low D-1, D-2 players.

[Markeymark]

USF has always been a tough sell. The new facility will help in trying to keep up with the elite programs in the Big East.

This school lives & dies by football, I wish that weren't the case but it's just a fact.

Whoever builds this hoops program into a Winner will be recognized by his peers as having achieved a major accomplishment in his profession.