Rick Ray down in Florida recruiting today.

[Dawg61]

You said show you dead horses. I did. You trying to add value to Rick Ray by using John Cohen's NC appearance is pathetic. Our basketball program sucks assholes and you Engie are helping it to suck.

[Dawg61]

Do we really have to get in this again? You say the same things over and over. Number one: yes, we are in the SEC. No, it is (unfortunately) not one of the most desired conferences to play in for recruits. We just aren't that good on a national level. It's a fact. The prestige the SEC has for nationwide recruits in football just doesn't exist in basketball. Not at this point in time anyway. Number two: shooting is much more complex than just hiring a coach and POOF!!! All our players now have JJ Redick form. Sadly (again), if a kid isn't trained to shoot with proper mechanics from junior high on up, it is not really worth changing once he gets to college. People with bad-looking shots can become decent shooters. They just need to spend time in the gym working on it. Again, your insertion of "MUST" in all caps implies you know the answer as fact, and all naysayers are wrong. If you implied this as a humble opinion, I would not respond so strongly. Endure the trials this season and be patient. It is possible that in due time (whether next year or the next), that we actually could reap from the hard work that is currently being sown.

You seem defeated towards recruiting players from the Southeast. If Ray would ease his stance of not recruiting AAU players it wouldn't be that difficult to find quality players in the South. Just cause you recruit AAU players and sign them doesn't mean you're not playing by the rules. He can keep his moral high ground stance and still sign AAU players. Is he on a two man mission with Scott Stricklin vs the rest of the college basketball and AAU? Good luck with that.

[Brad Stevens]

You seem defeated towards recruiting players from the Southeast. If Ray would ease his stance of not recruiting AAU players it wouldn't be that difficult to find quality players in the South. Just cause you recruit AAU players and sign them doesn't mean you're not playing by the rules. He can keep his moral high ground stance and still sign AAU players. Is he on a two man mission with Scott Stricklin vs the rest of the college basketball and AAU? Good luck with that.

I will try to be clearer. Your definition of a quality player is an athlete that plays AAU. From all you've implied, if he is tall and can do a windmill dunk, he is a "quality player." My definition of a quality player is a guy who may be slightly smaller in size but knows the game of basketball, is a student of the game, has a chip on his shoulder, and out-works his more athletic counterparts.

Both athleticism and hard work ethic combined with fundamentals is rare in the southeast. You can find those players in other parts of the country, except they usually would rather play in better conferences (and rightfully so). Thus the dilemma -- of players that DESIRE to play in the SEC, we have slim pickings. Kentucky can succeed with the out-athletic-you players. We cannot. Simple.

[Dawg61]

I will try to be clearer. Your definition of a quality player is an athlete that plays AAU. From all you've implied, if he is tall and can do a windmill dunk, he is a "quality player." My definition of a quality player is a guy who may be slightly smaller in size but knows the game of basketball, is a student of the game, has a chip on his shoulder, and out-works his more athletic counterparts.

Both athleticism and hard work ethic combined with fundamentals is rare in the southeast. You can find those players in other parts of the country, except they usually would rather play in better conferences (and rightfully so). Thus the dilemma -- of players that DESIRE to play in the SEC, we have slim pickings. Kentucky can succeed with the out-athletic-you players. We cannot. Simple.

I'm not in love with AAU the players are. The big majority of players skilled enough to play college basketball play AAU basketball. It is what it is. They don't have enough time with each other to develop structured disciplined organized basketball. Thus the best athletes shine brightest in this scenario. I'm not saying we should rely on AAU alone for the players we sign. I am saying we should not eliminate players from recruiting if they play AAU basketball. They still play for their high school teams. It's basically just freestyle basketball with uniforms. They are playing against a better collection of players on one team than they'll see almost the entire season in high school. Connections are made when you recruit AAU. You are able to go watch the top 50-100 players in one area of the country all in one setting at the same time. That's hours and days of travel and homework saved by just attending the AAU events and taking notes. Have MSU representation at these events. Let the players see MSU Maroon&White in the stands watching. They will notice.

Again I'm not saying strictly rely on AAU but to include it as a recruiting avenue. Along with high school, Juco, transfers, smaller college bball and foreign players. Add all that up and you're getting into the thousands of basketball players per year that MSU can choose to recruit. How the **** can you not find and sign four basketball players per year out of 5,000 candidates? I wouldn't only sign those "glue" type players you like so much either. I'd blend great athletes amongst them so they can do what they are best at. Gluing or jellying that chemistry together. Athletic or glue but either way they need to be able to shoot the basketball. Shooters please.

[Brad Stevens]

I don't know where you get these random numbers from. You really don't think anyone on our team was in the top 5000 when they came out of high school? And you do realize that the guys who play AAU also play high school ball, too, right? I can't say for certain, but I bet most of our players played for some AAU team growing up. We just didn't play the dirty AAU-game which is really just a glorified prostitution ring where the kid gets sold to the highest bidder for college. And I'm okay with us not playing that game.

If you're watching the UNC v FSU game now, watch Leslie McDonald for UNC. I played against him in high school. He hung about 30 on my team when he was a freshman in high school. One reason why I like him a lot, and that he is successful, is that he has the athletic ability but also has the fundamentals. They don't HAVE to be mutually exclusive. But when you get a kid from the southeast (Memphis) with both extreme athleticism and fundamentals, he goes to UNC over MSU or Ole Miss ten times out of ten, and that's just how it is.

[Goat from MSU]

Brad who did you play for in High School ,McDonald either played for St.George or Briercrest not sure.Just think I thought you were a big of wind .You do know something about the old round ball then.

I don't know where you get these random numbers from. You really don't think anyone on our team was in the top 5000 when they came out of high school? And you do realize that the guys who play AAU also play high school ball, too, right? I can't say for certain, but I bet most of our players played for some AAU team growing up. We just didn't play the dirty AAU-game which is really just a glorified prostitution ring where the kid gets sold to the highest bidder for college. And I'm okay with us not playing that game.

If you're watching the UNC v FSU game now, watch Leslie McDonald for UNC. I played against him in high school. He hung about 30 on my team when he was a freshman in high school. One reason why I like him a lot, and that he is successful, is that he has the athletic ability but also has the fundamentals. They don't HAVE to be mutually exclusive. But when you get a kid from the southeast (Memphis) with both extreme athleticism and fundamentals, he goes to UNC over MSU or Ole Miss ten times out of ten, and that's just how it is.

[Dawg61]

5,000 is just the number I threw out for the pool of players. As in the total amount of players available for colleges to recruit from. Every single player on MSU scholarship would be in that 5,000. That's the total of players. I have no clue what that total number is. Nobody does. It's just used for discussion purposes.

I will watch him now that you pointed him out. Thanks.

[Brad Stevens]

Haha I won't reveal who I played for. McDonald played at Briarcrest. I was a junior when we played him when he was a freshman. They also had another player named Gregg Wooten who went on to play D-1 ball at Samford. Greg Hardy was a senior (I think) that year with Briarcrest too. They were a tough matchup for us.

[Intramural All-American]

I can vouch for Brad, here. He knows more about the game of basketball than 95% of the people posting on this board.

[Dawg61]

I can vouch for Brad, here. He knows more about the game of basketball than 95% of the people posting on this board.

Haha Brad I think you've found a keeper here. She knows her sports and she's got your back.

[Intramural All-American]

Haha Brad I think you've found a keeper here. She knows her sports and she's got your back.

Don't worry 61, you are obviously in the 5%.

[smootness]

Ray recruits AAU players. What are you talking about?

[Goat from MSU]

Haha I won't reveal who I played for. McDonald played at Briarcrest. I was a junior when we played him when he was a freshman. They also had another player named Gregg Wooten who went on to play D-1 ball at Samford. Greg Hardy was a senior (I think) that year with Briarcrest too. They were a tough matchup for us.

i lived in Memphis ,Did you play FACS I might have seen you played then. I saw McDonald back then when FACS played them.

[Dawg61]

Ray recruits AAU players. What are you talking about?

Good. Let's keep it that way.

[RougeDawg]

Bloodman is back-up PG that should get 14 mins/game. Ready will take over next year and play about 25 mins/game. And we'll be solid there

Question that has been in my mind since the previous regime. Why in God's name can't these kids play 32-36+ minutes anymore these days? Even in the NBA players don't play the minutes they used to play. Have the players gotten that soft? Seems like we used to have guys that rarely came out of games, usually right before a timeout, to maximize their rest, and then right back in the damn game. What has changed, besides the pussification of America?

[Dawg61]

Here's the wtf shocker of the day. Fred Thomas leads the team in minutes played by 24 total and by over 2 minutes per game at 30min per game over every other player. Wtf. That's terrible.

[esplanade91]

I don't know where you get these random numbers from. You really don't think anyone on our team was in the top 5000 when they came out of high school? And you do realize that the guys who play AAU also play high school ball, too, right? I can't say for certain, but I bet most of our players played for some AAU team growing up. We just didn't play the dirty AAU-game which is really just a glorified prostitution ring where the kid gets sold to the highest bidder for college. And I'm okay with us not playing that game.

If you're watching the UNC v FSU game now, watch Leslie McDonald for UNC. I played against him in high school. He hung about 30 on my team when he was a freshman in high school. One reason why I like him a lot, and that he is successful, is that he has the athletic ability but also has the fundamentals. They don't HAVE to be mutually exclusive. But when you get a kid from the southeast (Memphis) with both extreme athleticism and fundamentals, he goes to UNC over MSU or Ole Miss ten times out of ten, and that's just how it is.

I'm not okay with not playing the AAU game. I'm not advocating whatever the hell 61 is talking about, I do think our players' talent is beneath where it has been in just about forever, but until the NCAA fixes the glorified prostitution ring we need to be involved in it. Are we so high and mighty? Is the general public (the general public that also has no idea who MSU is) going to frown upon ole Mississippi State and think we're a bunch of dirty ass fans because we somehow smuggle shoe money to high schoolers? Until we get a coach like K or Self whose very name brings players to MSU or the NCAA fixes the AAU culture, which ever comes first, we need to be doing it.

And I'm also implying that we need to let good kids like Steele have some leeway. Guy was a solid student and gave 110%, yet he wants to redshirt for 2 reasons (1 being a good one) and we tell him to kick rocks.

There's got to be somewhere in the middle between what ever the hell we're doing now and what Stans got himself into at the end. This team is horrible, and pardon my thinking that this roster won't be better given an offseason after an offseason just made this team just as mediocre.

[mic]

Here's the wtf shocker of the day. Fred Thomas leads the team in minutes played by 24 total and by over 2 minutes per game at 30min per game over every other player. Wtf. That's terrible.

Why is that a shock.?? who should lead in minutes played.?? Maybe it because Fred guards well and stays out of foul trouble. Lots of factors go into minutes played.. 2 quick fouls in the first half and you are riding pine till the 2nd. And I doubt very many 4's and 5's lead their respective teams in minutes played.. IJ is a freshman who has had some injury issues. Plus Bloodman has played very well for us this year..

[Dawg61]

I'll say this about Steele. I didn't want him to take up a scholarship for next year because I was under the assumption we had plans of using all 13 scholarships on other players. As of right now we still have an open scholarship so it looks pretty stupid to deny Steele his redshirt when he would for sure be by far our best 3point shooter. Stupid.

[Dawg61]

Why is that a shock.?? who should lead in minutes played.?? Maybe it because Fred guards well and stays out of foul trouble. Lots of factors go into minutes played.. 2 quick fouls in the first half and you are riding pine till the 2nd. And I doubt very many 4's and 5's lead their respective teams in minutes played.. IJ is a freshman who has had some injury issues. Plus Bloodman has played very well for us this year..

It's a shock because he constantly makes horrible decisions on offense. You'd think Ray would pull him some for a little coaching time in his ear every once in awhile thus reflecting on his minutes played. By the looks of it Flat Shot hasn't been pulled often if at all for his bad decision making.