Recruiting - Trick-or-Treat October

Well there seems to be no UVA chatter in the Midwest. Seems odd since UVA sources (both here and on 247) seem to indicate we’re in the top 2 with no mention of Purdue. I do wonder if this Pursue chatter is just to build a little excitement

I still think that it is UVA and Purdue. Just a hunch.

Agreed. There is sooo much interpretation predicated on “meaning” of semi-factual evidence and, when coupled with human’s innate cognitive biases (e.g., recency, motivated reasoning, etc.), we can “learn” a lot of untrue things.

Not to be a scold, 'cause conspiricy theories can be fun, to be sure; still I have to remind myself to step back, take a deep breath, and focus on strong evidence.

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DaRon Holmes will be one of those ‘what if’ recruits. Gotta think UVA would have had a really good chance if they stuck with it.

https://twitter.com/jakeweingarten/status/1320049792010113025

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Huge Pickup for Dayton. Will be interesting if he actually plays the 3 for them or if they play him at the 4 and he’s just like “okay sure” and it grows on him.

I would love to be the fly on the wall of a zoom visit between any coach in America and one of the 6’8 tweeners to hear the promises and what not.

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You have any thoughts on all this Purdue chatter with Trey? The Indiana board is freaking out.

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haha! Nah not really. I just look at it as UVA vs not UVA. There’s no talk from our side. Really there’s been very little ever, but that’s kind of normal when it’s a TB operation from the start. So I don’t rule it out.

Someone did point out to me after he announced his date that a Purdue staffer followed on IG, which probably means they at minimum hadn’t been told no yet. The whole “I have enough info, stop calling” post was interesting. I get the feeling he never told anyone no, just someone yes.

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Lack of UVA chatter a sign we’re unlikely to be the choice or just a byproduct of no one having a clue outside the family?

Did you hear the JWilly show? London, Dre’, Ty, Darion, JWill and Mark were discussing Dre’s redshirt year. JWill talked about how they promised Dre’ they wouldn’t play him at the four during his recruitment. Even after Nichols was suspended and they needed someone at the four, Bennett was true to his word.

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Short answer, I don’t know. And honestly once a recruit drops a date, I’m not that interested.
My job is done, ya know. I hate when announcements get spoiled.

Someone knows. He committed somewhere. UVA people don’t talk once a verdict is in, period. In all my time only once have I ever found out a recruit’s decision from someone connected to UVA, and they didn’t want him anyway. That stuff always comes from the outside. And there just isn’t as much of that this year for obvious reasons.

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It was in some 4 out lineups, but Dre played a ton of 4 in both of his years here

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Yes, he does. JWilly discusses what led to playing a hybrid 3/4 but not a traditional 4. Dre’ was present and I think it was Ty or London who was hoping they would use him to replace Nichols but CTB wouldn’t even consider it. I think that it’s interesting. Especially when we are recruiting Houstan, Keels, and Kaufman. Each school is selling their vision for him. Of the coaches recruiting these young men. I don’t think there is one coach that could be trusted more than Tony.

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Ah got it, thanks. I need to catch up on my JWilly show

I was thinking about the Holmes commitment and wondering the same thing. I have to believe he would have been ours if we had stuck it out. What if?

I really liked this kid. Just hope it wasn’t a mistake to let him slip away. He seemed ready to sign when he was here on his official visit last fall.

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The relevance of 3 vs 4 depends on the team.. it was a huge deal when we ran blocker/mover almost full time. As Dre said he wouldn’t have came here if he was recruited as a 4 because “those are the guys setting screens”.

But really most of these guys that it’s talked about in recruiting are players that are never going to play the 3 anyway, and they know it. Holmes and Kaufman don’t want to chase guards around. They just don’t want to be used offensively or labeled as “big men”. Since UVA plays less blocker/mover now and with Dre as an example, it’s less of a recruiting hurdle than it used to be. in fact, they sort of use some revisionist history to compare Dre to players that truthfully he didn’t have much in common with at the same stage.

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I think we would have if he had been willing to play a hybrid 4/5.

He is only 6’8” . I’d be surprised if they wanted him for a 4/5. I’d think HGN is more likely right thinking he didn’t want to set picks. Still, one has to think it might have been good for all parties if he had committed early or we pursued longer.

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Virginia has had plenty of 6’8” 4 men. Sam Hauser is 6’8” this year

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Heck Wilkins was 6-5/6-6 and our 4 man for a while.

DaRon wanted to be a perimeter player I think. We couldn’t offer that. DaRon isn’t like Caleb Houstan where he has guard skills. DaRon is a stretch 4.

That being said I was a huge DaRon fan and wish he could have been a Hoo.

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