Here’s what I’d do if I were recruiting the Runnin Utes…
First, it goes without saying that we need the biggest, baddest, most athletic and NBA-bound studs we can find. Easy to say. Hard to do. But we’ve landed those guys in the past, and we’ll keep getting them in the future. Just gotta keep digging and we’ll get our share. No big surprise here. Every team is looking for these guys. I’m talking more below about what we do in addition to this, or what we need regardless of getting the stud…
We know that the Utah pool of D1 HS talent is not super deep. There are only so many Alex Jensens, Collin Chandlers, and Frank Jacksons to go around. True 4-star talent in our backyard. Yes, still recruit those guys like we always have. And we’re going to get some and not all of those guys. So, I’m not talking about them…
After the national studs and the local studs, I’d make sure we recruit local guys with potential to develop. I’m talking more about the role players. The Rydalches, Parker Van Dykes, Sean Greens, Drew Hansens, Jaxon Brenchly’s. Like the fb program has done, you have to fill your roster with some guys that want to have Utah across their chest. These kind of guys will be slow-burn development players. They may not pay off as contributors until senior year, maybe junior if we’re lucky. They probably won’t become starters, but they’ll fill our roster with guys who care about Utah. Guys who are bought in, and not necessarily looking for the next paycheck.
Lastly, we need to get athletic freaks. Preferably with some basketball skills even if raw. We do not care if they are “turds.” Can they play? Can they jump out of the gym? Can they pin a ball against the backboard?
I think our current and most recent coach get a little too concerned about coachable guys and good citizens so that there are players they don’t even offer or run off from the program because they’re not choir boys.
Sorry, but we need these guys. We need the disgruntled and difficult — if they’ve got that freak hoopin’ burst. THOSE are the guys I’ve seen come in and out our program quickly in the last 15 years or so, and I’d like to have seen some of them stay, and who knows how many more there were that didn’t even get offers. I don’t think we can be so picky. We had “problem child” players in the past and they often bring not only big athleticism, but a little bit of dogfight in them. We need a little more of that.
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