Large recruiting classes

[UcMiami]

This is not specific to DD and I don't want responses that involve speculation on her leaving UNC. What I am curious about is the result of 4 and 5 member classes over 4 years. I can't even remember everything about Uconn classes, but the two that jump out are the TASSK force and Stef and Bria's class. Tassk went from 5 to 4 based on medical, but was a self recruited class. The class of 2014 went fr 5 to 2 based on true unhappiness (1) and playing time (2). EDD was part of a 4 player class that dropped to 3 before it ever actually began.
I remember Rutgers having a 5 player class that imploded after a year
TN I think has had a couple that experienced attrition
UNC's last class has gone from 5 to 3 I think with DD's announcement.
BG's class at Baylor - did they lose one player over 4 years?

I am just curious what people think about the issues of a large recruiting class - I know both CD and Geno are on record as preferring a class of 3, but have obviously gone to 4/5 when the players suit with mixed results in terms of keeping the class together.
I think it is a crap shoot with recruits and you can get transfers for small classes as well as big ones. But it does seem the dynamic involved when a class gets to 5 is harder to maintain through 4 years.

 

[intlzncster]

This is not specific to DD and I don't want responses that involve speculation on her leaving UNC. What I am curious about is the result of 4 and 5 member classes over 4 years. I can't even remember everything about Uconn classes, but the two that jump out are the TASSK force and Stef and Bria's class. Tassk went from 5 to 4 based on medical, but was a self recruited class. The class of 2014 went fr 5 to 2 based on true unhappiness (1) and playing time (2). EDD was part of a 4 player class that dropped to 3 before it ever actually began.
I remember Rutgers having a 5 player class that imploded after a year
TN I think has had a couple that experienced attrition
UNC's last class has gone from 5 to 3 I think with DD's announcement.
BG's class at Baylor - did they lose one player over 4 years?

I am just curious what people think about the issues of a large recruiting class - I know both CD and Geno are on record as preferring a class of 3, but have obviously gone to 4/5 when the players suit with mixed results in terms of keeping the class together.
I think it is a crap shoot with recruits and you can get transfers for small classes as well as big ones. But it does seem the dynamic involved when a class gets to 5 is harder to maintain through 4 years.

You take as many good players as you can (that you think will fit your system)*. There tends to be natural attrition (which you can't predict beforehand). Attrition isn't a bad thing. You can't predict how every kid will take to your program, so you give yourself enough chances for it to work out.

If there happens to be no attrition, then you probably ended up with a really good class capable of winning an NC.

Would it be ideal to get 3 great players every year? Probably. But it's an ideal and not realistic in actuality.

The lesson in my opinion is that reasonable attrition is not a bad thing in the least.

I think the worst scenario is a class or 0 or 1 kids. By the time that classes senior year comes around, you're guaranteed to have one senior leader at most. It also forces you to overload another class, when you may not want to for lack of overall talent. Ultimately you want flexibility (not be locked in) to make moves when they present themselves.

JMO

*obviously there are limits. You don't take 9 kids. That said, the odds of you having 9 scholarships is very
low, and if you do have them, it's a result of multiple prior mistakes.

 

[rocky rococo]

BG's class at Baylor gained a player, Brooklyn Pope, I believe originally went to Rutgers.

 

[HuskyNan]

BG's class at Baylor gained a player, Brooklyn Pope, I believe originally went to Rutgers.

Yes, I was going to say that RU had a big recruiting class and lost a couple of those players.

 

[bballnut90]

BG's class at Baylor gained a player, Brooklyn Pope, I believe originally went to Rutgers.

They also gained Destiny Williams, so their class increased by 2.

 

[rocky rococo]

They also gained Destiny Williams, so their class increased by 2.

I vaguely recalled that as well, but couldn't remember any details, I thought maybe the old gray cells were calcifying. Where did Williams originally enroll, do you recall?

 

[intlzncster]

I vaguely recalled that as well, but couldn't remember any details, I thought maybe the old gray cells were calcifying. Where did Williams originally enroll, do you recall?

Illinois

 

[rocky rococo]

Ah, thank you.

 

[EricLA]

Just as a side note, not all recruiting classes that are large are filled with kids who defect. The TASSK class lost Walters, but only because of injuries. But IMHO at elite schools, when you get 5-6 kids, a few of them usually aren't as good as perhaps thought, or don't develop they way everyone hoped, and the kids often opt for another school to get more PT. Michala and Lauren are examples of that, and Tennessee's class of Hornbuckle, Parker, SWG, Fuller, Dosty and Anosike actually lost 2 of those kids to transfers.

 

[UcMiami]

I think it is also an issue within the recruits - if everyone comes in thinking they are starter material, but only a couple see that kind of time early, then friction can build within the class itself.

 

[triaddukefan]

Duke's class of 2014 was a group of 5. All stayed til the end... though one was suspended (?) for the latter part of the season.