More basketball talk - a look at one of the best recruiting teams in the SEC.

[Irondawg]

For all those guys that think we should just chase highly ranked players by the services:

2010:
4-star
4-star
3-star
unranked JUCO

2011:
4-star
4-star
4-star
3-star
Unranked JUCO
Unranked Euro

2012:
5-star

2013:
4-star
4-star
Unranked JUCO


So over the past 4 years that's (1) 5-star, (7) 4-star, (2) 3-star, (2) unranked JUCO and (1) Unranked Euro

You should be pretty damn good at this point right? No, you are Alabama.

All of one game ahead of Ray's sandlot roster in the league standings.

I just don't trust the ratings for basketball players from the SE - most of they guys turn out to be very mediocre. Haven't really looked to see what happened to all these guys, but damn that's a terrible return on those classes.

[engie]

You can do that with most teams in the SEC...Hence why it IS not all about recruiting "stars" down here.

It's funny how our fans will use stars to prop Mullen up because they like him -- then turn RIGHT around and bash Ray for the same reason -- when only ONE true Ray recruit has seen the floor thusfar -- who is shooting 41.2% from 3.

[Dawg61]

Anthony Grant blows. He'll be fired soon.

[Brad Stevens]

Bravo.

This should at least destroy the fallacy that just grabbing more highly rated players is guaranteed to bring success.

[Dawg61]

Bravo.

This should at least destroy the fallacy that just grabbing more highly rated players is guaranteed to bring success.

Nope because Anthony Grant is horrible. This just shows he sucks even more.

[Dawg61]

when only ONE true Ray recruit has seen the floor thusfar -- who is shooting 41.2% from 3.

He's also missed seven games because he's fragile and managed to take less 3s than Jacoby Davis despite playing 182 more minutes. Ready definitely ain't Ready to shoot.

[Brad Stevens]

Virginia Commonwealth (Colonial Athletic Association) (2006–2009)
2006–2007 Virginia Commonwealth 28–7 16–2 1st NCAA 2nd Round
2007–2008 Virginia Commonwealth 24–8 15–3 1st NIT 1st Round
2008–2009 Virginia Commonwealth 24–10 14–4 1st NCAA 1st Round
Virginia Commonwealth: 76–25 (.752) 45–9 (.833)


That is his record as head coach at VCU. He upset Duke with that first team. He had two players go in the nba draft out of those 3 years. If that is all you had to go by, would you want him or Rick Ray? We both know the answer...

Yet, in hindsight, you say he is an awful coach. It's either that, or the southeast high school players are vastly overrated due to lack of fundamentals. Please admit you understand there MUST be a factor outside of star power here...

[Dawg61]

Now list all the players that have transferred out or been kicked off since Grant took over.

[Brad Stevens]

Now list all the players that have transferred out or been kicked off since Grant took over.

I would love to if you will first address the issue at hand. He is a coach with national success as a previous head coach. He has former players in the NBA. Is it he just "sucks" all of the sudden? Or could it actually be a problem with the players? Could a coach actually have success doing things the "right way" with fundamentally sound and unselfish players, then take a job with highly rated players that don't buy into the system? Could that ACTUALLY be a possibility? (Sarcasm implied)

[Dawg61]

I don't think he runs a great system and neither do his players. He is trying to play a slow game with 4* athletes. Just will never work.

[Dawg61]

I would love to if you will first address the issue at hand. He is a coach with national success as a previous head coach. He has former players in the NBA. Is it he just "sucks" all of the sudden? Or could it actually be a problem with the players? Could a coach actually have success doing things the "right way" with fundamentally sound and unselfish players, then take a job with highly rated players that don't buy into the system? Could that ACTUALLY be a possibility? (Sarcasm implied)

Brad I've been saying for awhile now that Ray MUST drop four of his current players and go get four shooters.

[Political Hack]

The rating sites are off in football, but they're not even close in basketball. outside of the few big time five stars, they're pretty pathetic in their ratings for basketball players.

[smootness]

He's also missed seven games because he's fragile and managed to take less 3s than Jacoby Davis despite playing 182 more minutes. Ready definitely ain't Ready to shoot.

Yeah, can't believe he's so fragile that he gets concussions and the flu. What a joke.

[NewTweederEndzoneDance]

Anthony Grant blows. He'll be fired soon.

He's not a bad coach. There is a reason so many successful coaches come to the SEC and suck, and its not because they can't coach. We have to fix the officiating and the mentality that basketball is the equivalent of OL and DL battling in the trenches.

[Dawg61]

Yeah, can't believe he's so fragile that he gets concussions and the flu. What a joke.

A concussion is not to be messed with and I'm definitely NOT implying that in this case but he is fragile. He needs to add some muscle in the offseason I think. He's been out for almost a third of the season. Him and Ware are two players we just absolutely must have in the lineup this season.

[Brad Stevens]

I don't think he runs a great system and neither do his players. He is trying to play a slow game with 4* athletes. Just will never work.

Okay, I can get close to agreeing on this. If this is true though, what is the problem? The system or the players? I do think a great coach adapts his system to what players he has, but I still believe kids that want to play in the southeast just don't have the tools to play solid, team basketball that you find at The VCUs, Butlers, and Wichita States of college basketball. Unfortunately for Anthony Grant, he is finding that out in hindsight.

[Dawg61]

Okay, I can get close to agreeing on this. If this is true though, what is the problem? The system or the players? I do think a great coach adapts his system to what players he has, but I still believe kids that want to play in the southeast just don't have the tools to play solid, team basketball that you find at The VCUs, Butlers, and Wichita States of college basketball. Unfortunately for Anthony Grant, he is finding that out in hindsight.

I just think Grant is too hard-headed and refuses to relax his standards off the court and on the court. I don't obsessively follow Alabama basketball so I'm just guessing here but I get the sense his players don't really like him. He seems to have a major ego and it rubs his players the wrong way. He's trying to be Bobby Knight without the rings to back it up. It worked for him at VCU but that school has a system in place that Grant benefited from like Butler has. Brad Stevens the real Brad not you isn't the only coach to benefit from Butler either. We'll see how Brad does with the Celtics (I have my doubts).