Related, but not, I wish we would get out in front of NOVA/UMD etc for some of these DMV kids in their early blow up phase
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#Sources close to the situation indicate that 5* PF @JarinStevenson will commit to @AlabamaMBB later this afternoon. He held offers from @UVAMensHoops and @UNC_Basketball. MASSIVE get for #RollTide #Bama over the @accmbb powers #UVA and #UNC. @WalterKFriedman @JonRothstein pic.twitter.com/fT37PgLPRW
— Jim ■■■■■■■■■ (@jim_■■■■■■■■■) June 21, 2023
Legit question - preface by saying this is NOT a troll job… but, why recruit a kid like Jarin if we cannot guarantee immediate playing time? I assume we did not guarantee him that because that isn’t TBs MO and it never has been. Foregone conclusion he kept us in his top 3 for NIL leverage purposes only and we are no longer a serious contender. If we are going to expend resources recruiting a top 25 guy, there is a significant risk/reward opportunity cost here. As we all know, recruiting after '18/'19 largely suffered because we “Phil Mickelsonned” on so many top targets. This might be controversial (perhaps not?) but it seems as if our big recruitment wins under TB usually goes back to one (two) things: faith and personal character connection with TB as a personality. This helps when we find the Kyle Guy and Imacs of the world but doesn’t necessarily help with a top 25 guy, or the population at-large. So what needs to change in order to expand beyond this niche recruiting approach?
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My guess has been that Tony decided to recruit Jarin b/c he thought he could be very good at hoops and thought that there was a chance that Jarin would want to play here. But then I keep reading here that Tony is wasting his time, so 
.
If folks are soooo worried about Tony’s time management, I wish they’d spend more time arguing that Tony should spend less time impeding the wheels of progress of cameras filming basketball games for which there is no media contract.
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Thanks for your really thoughtful, on point post. Great contribution to the discussion. I’m sure I’ll get nothing but TB gatekeepers here and sarcastic disingenuous replies.Was worth a shot trying to get actual feedback regarding a broader issue, at least.
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Yup, this has been an issue (saying that Tony has been correct to recruit Jarin) that has really brought the TB gatekeepers like me and @norfolk_hoo to the barricades.
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Also, do people realize how long recruitments are? It’s not a snapshot in time, it’s a lengthy (most times multi year) process of relationship building. Trying to make it more simple and black & white than it is disregards the complexity of the practice. There are maybe 3-4 schools in the country that can wait for players to develop and have their pick of the litter. That ain’t UVA
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We recruited Jarin because he is very good at basketball and formed a connection with CTB
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When did Alabama get serious in his recruitment?
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One of my contrarian opinions is that we should recruit kids who are good at basketball. Or, failing that, at least lacrosse.
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Haney: bringing back the forgotten art of cross-training.
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Some us still believe in the Dan v Dave dream
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Whats the answer to this? Like a quick fix to bat .900? Asking for real cause I dont really understand why any kid would not accept a scholarship offer to play at Virginia
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I don’t think “culture fit” is a recruiting niche. You expand beyond that and you’re risking more than a recruiting miss.
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I mean, you’re definitely not wrong.
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I think lots of recruits tell themselves things about themselves that are not true all the time. Kind of human nature at age 17-18
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I’m a believer that we were correct to recruit Jarin. I’m a believer that it’s not a huge deal to not win this recruitment. I’m a believer that the strategy is fine(see 2022 and 2023 classes along with our recent portal additions). It’s just a matter of time before we hit on a 5 star. Is that Kon? Is that Jacob Wilkins(if he reaches that status)? idk. But I think it’s inevitable at some point. In the meantime, hitting on 2-4 top 100ish guys a year and supplementing with quality transfers when needed will keep us a relevant college basketball power.
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Said another way, I doubt TB tells recruits things that are not true or even hyperbolic in terms if the kids skills etc. of course plenty of coaches do do so; right or wrong I dont know
To be fair it was mostly williford for a year.Tony was with Jarin on his official here but Tony never went to seaforth I believe to watch him. Not as much time invested or wasted as many believe.
I think we sometimes believe things that arent aligned with reality and then run with them as truth.
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Less snarkily: From the beginning of this recruitment, I basically thought two main things: (1) he probably won’t come here b/c he’s a Carolina kid with a Carolina fam, and it’s gonna be tough to beat them if they want him**, and (2) but given his clear interest in UVa (by # of visits) and what he said publicly, he did seem like the kind of kid who had a slight chance of bucking the trend given the exact thing you cite: personal connection with TB.
** which is why it will be somewhat ironic if he does wind up picking Bama…
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