Official signing day thread: Discuss it all in here

[Jamie]

If he's citing Robertson then he must be worried about playing time. To which I would say... why? USF needs two wing players and only four guys from last year's rotation are back. There's going to be tons of PT available.

[The Great 8]

Poland must be pretty mediocre if he's worried about playing time here. He'll be handed a starting job / key reserve role immediately unless he's worse than me.

[Vega]

Fisrt off let me say that this is very very disappointing news. If we could have finished off this class with the 2 guys Poland and Gardner I was all prepared to come on this board and tell everyone why imo USF was going to be a better team next season then they were last season. Well Poland has messed that up and this is a reason why I stop following football recruiting which I started writing about since I was 14 yrs old. Two things I want to mention here for you all to think about.

First thing is the obvious bind Poland's de-commitment has put on our program and the other thing is what always bothered me about football recruiting and that's integrity among coaches.

Everyone knows the difficulty that Heath has recruiting at USF. I have to say that was very proud of the talent he had lined up to sign with USF this spring. Like I said I was fully prepared to state why USF was a better team heading into the 2010-2011 season then last season. We needed a shooter, Wing player, and a physical presence on the frontline. Heath nailed it and then some. He found 3 perimeter players that would start next season and a big man that I believe would be as good as Kendrell Gransberry before he left USF. Now the problem is we have the starting SG and the Big not knowing if they want to come here now for reasons that make no sense to me.

I know G.A. mentioned that getting Robertson might have had something to do with Poland de committing but that's BS and here's why. First of all Poland already knew about Robertson joining him at USF because Hugh had committed weeks before Poland ever did. Also just a few days ago Poland said that Dominique Jones leaving really had nothing to do with him committing to USF, he liked the school, coaches, and academics so much that even if Jones stayed he was coming. Now you tell me, if one of the best SGs in the nation(who plays your position) won't keep you away then how in the hell can an unproven player like Hugh Robertson keep you away especially when he doesn't play the same position you do? If anybody could have said that they wanted to look around it should have been Robertson who was already committed before Poland. He could have said that I didn't know USF was bringing in another wing player. Surely Poland isn't afraid of Noriega and Burwell who are two guys who won't play. >

More up next and I'm gong to get into Mick Cronin and Cincy.

[Vega]

Integrity is what I'm talking about now. Imo the NCAA should come out with a rule that states players who are already committed can't be recruited by other schools unless that player calls the other school and the coach of that other school has to call the coach of the school where the player has committed too. It should be made right to let the coach know that his player called him with interest.  See that isn't so for fetched because I know for fact that Heath practices that unwritten policy and has ever since he was at Michigan St. Another one of the things to be proud of with him imo.

Now it is obvious that Mick Cronin has no integrity or morels like our coach because here he is going after Poland. Speaking of Cronin he has the title of WORSE HEAD COACH IN THE BIG EAST all to himself now that Fred Hill is out at Rutgers. I came on this board before last season and told you all that Rutgers, Seton Hall, Depaul, and St John's would all be making coaching changes either during the season or after. I was right and I will be right about this next one too. Nick Cronin will be fired at the end of next season because like I said he is by far and away the worse HC in the BE. He can't develop his players and he embarrassingly underachieved last season with a team that was picked to easily finish in the top 6 of the league and a lock for the NCAAT. He had twice the talent of USF but he's isn't half the HC Stan Heath is. Heath has proven he can develop less talented players something Cronin just can't do. I promise you Cronin would have underachieved with last season's Kentucky team. Yes I get on Heath sometimes about his offensive method but compared to Cronin's slow down style we look like John Wooden's UCLA teams.

Now Poland is an open floor player and a guy that needs and likes to be coached. Cincinnati is a very bad fit for him. Who ever is advising this poor young man needs to be locked up. If Cincy had handed out some money then it should be given back. Poland career will end at Cincy and if by some joke of a reason he likes Cronin then someone needs to inform him that the seat is hot under Mick's butt. It will be a shame if Poland has to look around again after next season.

[Vega]

Poland must be pretty mediocre if he's worried about playing time here. He'll be handed a starting job / key reserve role immediately unless he's worse than me.

He'll start at the SG. Robertson starts at the SF and Haynes pushes for the starting PG spot

[Velcro]

It'll be interesting to see what happens from here on out.

There are three possibilities...

1)  Poland does indeed sign with us... Heath is probably trying to work things out right now with Poland

2)  Poland signs with Cincy and we are stuck without a SG unless something crazy happens.....    like...

3)  Jones returns to school next season

anything is possible at this point.

With the draft being so freaking loaded with underclassmen... Jones may realize he could get drafted higher on simple numbers of participants alone. 

[Velcro]

BTW... 4 more underclassmen declared...

Butler center Gordon Hayward

Purdue center JaJuan Johnson

Purdue guard E'Twaun Moore

Baylor's Udoh

There are now 51 underclassmen that think they'll be first round (and that isn't including seniors and foreign players, which there are many) for 30 spots.  Plus another 8 players waffling on weather to declare... half of whom are probably going to get drafted before Jones, if they go, like Greg Monroe and Patrick Patterson.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/13033792/-nba-draft-early-entry-watch-list

It isn't looking good for Jones.

Looking at the names available, including seniors... I wouldn't have him even sniffing the top 30 picks right now. 

[Vega]

And Ox Gardner is starting to think like an Ox. He doesn't seem to know that Marquette is out of scholarships. I have to believe that he hasn't signed with USF because he is just waiting on something. Has his teammate picked a school yet? I know he said that they wanted to sign their letters at the same time.

[DELdaBull]

Jones coming back would be a great salvation at the 2.

[Jamie]

Someone left this comment over on our blog... don't know how true this is, but it's interesting.

I’m not a South Florida fan (KSU alum and hardcore fan actually)…but I have a lil bit of information on this situation…

I work with Poland’s mom. She’s a very hardworking and intelligent person. The past few days she’s been keeping me up to date with what’s going on with her son’s recruitment. Yesterday she told me that he had made a verbal commitment to South Florida…then I heard a rumor that Bob Huggins was going to be in town today (Wichita) to speak with Jawanza. So this morning I asked her what that was all about. She explained that Jawanza just wants to really make sure that he chooses the college that is right for him. This is a huge decision for a kid…this is where he’ll spend the next 3 years of his life…and his decision will affect the rest of his life. I don’t see anything wrong with taking some time to make sure that he’s confident with his decision. It sounds like Huggins will be in town tomorrow (Friday) to visit with Poland and his mom…then he’s visiting Cincinnati this weekend. His mom did say that he is still very much considering South Florida though. You all are not, by any means, out of the race.

Give the kid some credit. He’s a good kid who is just trying to make a tough decision.