Mack to VCU

[UConn990411]

I can't exactly take back the 5 shots of Jameson I took after you said Mack was going to commit to UConn with 24 hours, can I?

No, but you can't stop letting teenagers dictate your drinking habits.

 

[tcf15]

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncbrecruiting/on-the-trail/post?id=12280&ex_cid=Insider_share_12280_Scout's Take: VCU lands ESPN 100 SF Tevin Mack

ESPN Insider article.

Why he committed: How he was recruited and the overall feel of VCU's program was very impressive to Mack. The culture and atmosphere was something that stood out to him, and the opportunity to put his stamp on the program -- especially offensively -- from Day 1 was very important.

"VCU recruited me really hard," Mack said. "They have a family environment. The players are like a brotherhood. They play a great schedule and coach [Shaka] Smart is a great coach. I can play and have an impact right away scoring."

Coach Smart said he believes in me and he thinks I could be a 2,000-point scorer" Mack said.

The Rams' "Havoc" defense was also a factor in his decision.

"I am long and athletic," Mack said. "I will fit right into the press."

So, Shaka sold him on staying at VCU for four years, then, huh?

 

[UconnU]

Maybe we should start bothering recruits on twitter?

 

[WestHartHusk]

God, just stop with the sour grapes. It's embarrassing.

What sour grapes? The kid is a nice player, but it's not like we are going to fall off the cliff without out him.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

So, Shaka sold him on staying at VCU for four years, then, huh?

Honest recruiting pitch considering he is a 4 yr player there. Chances of negative recruiting with Smart vs Ollie are minimal.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Coach Smart said he believes in me and he thinks I could be a 2,000-point scorer" Mack said.

Is it sour grapes to think that Ollie would never tell a kid this?

 

[CallMeBruce]

What sour grapes? The kid is a nice player, but it's not like we are going to fall off the cliff without out him.

This:

We don't need kids that need this much individual attention to sign - never have.

is sour grapes. We lost the guy, so you feel it is appropriate to blast his character by implying he's a prima donna.

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncbrecruiting/on-the-trail/post?id=12280&ex_cid=Insider_share_12280_Scout's Take: VCU lands ESPN 100 SF Tevin Mack

ESPN Insider article.

Why he committed: How he was recruited and the overall feel of VCU's program was very impressive to Mack. The culture and atmosphere was something that stood out to him, and the opportunity to put his stamp on the program -- especially offensively -- from Day 1 was very important.

"VCU recruited me really hard," Mack said. "They have a family environment. The players are like a brotherhood. They play a great schedule and coach [Shaka] Smart is a great coach. I can play and have an impact right away scoring."

Coach Smart said he believes in me and he thinks I could be a 2,000-point scorer" Mack said.

The Rams' "Havoc" defense was also a factor in his decision.

"I am long and athletic," Mack said. "I will fit right into the press."

I've been thinking this for a little while, but never said anything, but this quote sort of may hint at that.

Perhaps KO just isn't selling these kids enough. Maybe he is too straight up and honest with them. Obviously he shouldn't lie, but I'm sure a big part of recruiting is adding a little bit of juice to the pitch, and maybe KO just refuses to do that.

I know he sells them on the UConn way and working hard and earning your spot (which I'm sure shaka did as well). That's great of course, because that's what our program is all about. But on top of that you need to add some things like, you can score 2,000 points here. Or you can be the face of the program etc. I'm not sure I see KO saying that kind of stuff to recruits. Its all about the team and UConn and never ever about the player, but 18 year old kids want to hear that stuff too.

I could be way off, so who knows. But maybe these whiffs are because KO is just way too honest with kids and refuses to hypothesize with them or sell them anything. Who knows.

 

[WestHartHusk]

This:

is sour grapes. We lost the guy, so you feel it is appropriate to blast his character by implying he's a prima donna.

I would have posted the same thing if he committed, and I predicted that he would go to VCU in the other poll thread. Regarding the montage and press conference, that is my opinion. Sour grapes is the label you want to put on your moral superiority.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I would have posted the same thing if he committed, and I predicted that he would go to VCU in the other poll thread. Regarding the montage and press conference, that is my opinion. Sour grapes is the label you want to put on your moral superiority.

Even if you would have said the same thing, it still would have been a ridiculous statement. I just have no idea how you could take what he did today as him being a diva and decide from a short highlight film (that he very well may not have asked for) that you wouldn't have wanted him at UConn. At least sour grapes gives you a reasonable excuse for why you said it.

 

[CL82]

Oh man we didn't get Mack? Damn I know being in the American was going to hurt us!! Well pack it in boys. UConn basketball is over.
Man I knew we shoulda gone with Shaka. I mean Smart just got Mack and all Ollie gotta us was, um, oh yeah a national championship. You know we just might be okay after all.

 

[husky99]

Best of luck. Next

 

[WhereistheDove?]

You have to wonder whether the conference came into play. The present A-10 is a stronger league top to bottom than the the current make-up of the AAC.

If we're discussing ACC vs AAC, valid point. That being said, I'm pretty confident in saying that it's not a factor here. Even if they have a slightly stronger top to bottom league, UConn has a much better OOC schedule and much more exposure.

 

[7774]

2017 has every thing to do with it. In your response from 2 days ago when I was mentioning Kegler and King, you were talking about Calhoun. He's not going to be here in 2017. As for Mack, in 2016-2017, he will be a sophomore. He will be there with Larrier and Williams at the 2/3. At UConn, we'll have Purvis the senior. No Hamilton, no Calhoun. This is pretty obvious stuff, as simple as 3 > 2.

Are you really this dimwitted?

“I’m trying to figure out where I can go and play right away,” Mack said. “I’ve got portfolios on every school and I know their players and who they’ve offered and who they are recruiting because I did a lot of research on that and I know where I can come in and fit in right away.”

"the opportunity to put his stamp on the program -- especially offensively -- from Day 1 was very important"

"I can play and have an impact right away scoring"

Right away is not 2016 or 2017. Day 1 is not 2016 or 2017. We'll just agree to disagree on this one because it's clear there is no point to this back and forth.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I would have posted the same thing if he committed, and I predicted that he would go to VCU in the other poll thread. Regarding the montage and press conference, that is my opinion. Sour grapes is the label you want to put on your moral superiority.

Before you accuse someone else of "moral superiority," you might want to consider the possibility that you're being a jerk.

 

[pnow15]

If I had my choice of spending four years in Richmond or Storrs, I would pick Richmond too.
Be sure not to miss Richmond State House in your travels south. Virginia has mild winters and hot
women. It is not a bad choice at all. Good Coach, nice program.

 

[NotADimeBack]

This is frustrating

 

[huskiesnyc]

Hey joy of recruiting. Things change quickly. It is a poor man's Hamlet

I like you 99. Just back up 1 of your predictions for the first time ever!!!

 

[BlueMAB]

How many players do we recruit every year? 30+?

How many do we actually offer? 10-20?

How many do we land? 3-5?

We've got two in this class already. There is no reason to panic.

And trying to make sense of emotionally based decisions 17-18 year olds is like trying to teach analytics to a goat.

 

[Fishy]

I like you 99. Just back up 1 of your predictions for the first time ever!!!

He'd be well within his rights to tell you to go f--- yourself.

Why are you giving him grief? He's telling you what he's hearing.

The fact that you don't like it doesn't mean anything.

 

[huskyniner]

“VCU fans hit me up on Twitter 100x more per day than UConn fans,” Mack said.

 

[CallMeBruce]

“VCU fans hit me up on Twitter 100x more per day than UConn fans,” Mack said.

Please tell me this is a joke.

 

[huskiesnyc]

He'd be well within his rights to tell you to go f--- yourself.

Why are you giving him grief? He's telling you what he's hearing.

The fact that you don't like it doesn't mean anything.

I'm talking about when he said Mack was committing 2 weeks ago. Stay out Fish!

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

I like you 99. Just back up 1 of your predictions for the first time ever!!!

You have to go to the VCU recruiting "experts" for that. They called their school as the frontrunner through-out and delivered the good news (while our experts said otherwise until the last day or 2). Some of the posters there have more of an inside read with the program/staff. They use social media to help recruit and the staff is aware of it. 99 probably doesn't have the same access to information from inside (staff) sources. He does a great job using the sources he has access to (3rd parties/media) hearsay.

 

[pnow15]

If I had my choice of spending four years in Richmond or Storrs, I would pick Richmond too.
Be sure not to miss Richmond State House in your travels south. Virginia has mild winters and hot
women. It is not a bad choice at all. Good Coach, nice program.

Virginia State House- sorry.