BASKETBALL Middle Tennessee (6-19, 2-10) @ UAB (14-11, 5-7), 7PM, Wednesday, February 12, 2020

[kingaling42]

Assuming you are correct and recruiting should be going well in spite of our difficulties I would like to pick your brain:
Recently one of the "Bigs" McDevitt had allegedly offered committed elsewhere and also there were reports we recently offered a JUCO PG.
Knowing how McDevitt operates do you have any insights as to how recruiting is going?
Do you think we are still "in on" Houston?
Do you expect any scholarships to open up giving us more than two players in this class?
Has McDevitt every gently released a player who can be more effective at a lower level?
MT has very few publicized offers out compared to the previous staff. Is it McDevitt's philosophy to be very selective as to whom he offers and related: Does he often give out offers but encourages players to not publicize them?

I would like just a little recruiting info from your perspective, not necessarily the questions I listed above.

I can’t speak about some of your questions because I honestly don’t know.. usually we talk about the efforts but with the way the year has gone I try to not talk ‘shop’ lately.. it looks like Fussell is encouraging/recruiting some guys to MTSU via Twitter so that’s speaks for his interests..

only convo I had with CNM about Houston is that he was the top kid they were after.. but that he was going to be deliberate in his commitment to any program.. that was a few months back and seems true. No idea if that’s good/bad for MT..

Overall recruitment is that offers are selective- shows staff commitment to top recruits.. hard to tell a kid why we want you while there are 3 other offers for guys at that same position.. so while you see the offers extended there is still others being evaluated, worked out, scouted, etc.. so if that kid selects another program there will be another recruit offered.. if a kid drags his feet too long you can expect an offer to be extended to pressure the decision occasionally as well.. usually among similar players though..

As for current players.. CNM is pretty transparent in dealing with kids as to where they stand.. if a kid isn’t seeing much time on the court, isn’t putting in extra gym time etc he’ll tell them exactly where they stand and at times encourage them to look at options where they would play more elsewhere.. lots of examples of this while at UNCA..

 

[MTFNBY5]

I can’t speak about some of your questions because I honestly don’t know.. usually we talk about the efforts but with the way the year has gone I try to not talk ‘shop’ lately.. it looks like Fussell is encouraging/recruiting some guys to MTSU via Twitter so that’s speaks for his interests..

only convo I had with CNM about Houston is that he was the top kid they were after.. but that he was going to be deliberate in his commitment to any program.. that was a few months back and seems true. No idea if that’s good/bad for MT..

Overall recruitment is that offers are selective- shows staff commitment to top recruits.. hard to tell a kid why we want you while there are 3 other offers for guys at that same position.. so while you see the offers extended there is still others being evaluated, worked out, scouted, etc.. so if that kid selects another program there will be another recruit offered.. if a kid drags his feet too long you can expect an offer to be extended to pressure the decision occasionally as well.. usually among similar players though..

As for current players.. CNM is pretty transparent in dealing with kids as to where they stand.. if a kid isn’t seeing much time on the court, isn’t putting in extra gym time etc he’ll tell them exactly where they stand and at times encourage them to look at options where they would play more elsewhere.. lots of examples of this while at UNCA..

Thanks for the response. I was not expecting answers to my specific questions and do understand your reluctance to discuss details with your friend.
As for your last paragraph it's good to know we may have more than two scholarships to give this year but I do hate turnover. Based on the play this year which has been up and down for every player (all have shown flashes of good play) I would have a hard time deciding if I wanted to encourage any to leave. But I have to have faith that staff knows best since all I have to go on is game performance.
One additional question I would like to add and hopefully you can answer: Usually I listen to every interview I can catch and to every coach's show but I must admit my attention is wavering since I am getting so little satisfaction from the program at this time. In the past the previous coach always built up any player sitting out (and IIRC that was true going back two or three regimes. I will give McDevitt props for not over hyping these players in the media or if he is I haven't heard it. Regardless, we all know that Dishman was penciled in as a starter (I've never understood that based on his stats from EKU) and that Jordan Davis and Jalen Jordan come in with apparent abilities (I do wonder why Davis left the highly regarded Dayton program - could it be he was recruited over?).
Just wonder from your limited(?) information which players sitting out will demand PT next year?

 

[kingaling42]

Thanks for the response. I was not expecting answers to my specific questions and do understand your reluctance to discuss details with your friend.
As for your last paragraph it's good to know we may have more than two scholarships to give this year but I do hate turnover. Based on the play this year which has been up and down for every player (all have shown flashes of good play) I would have a hard time deciding if I wanted to encourage any to leave. But I have to have faith that staff knows best since all I have to go on is game performance.
One additional question I would like to add and hopefully you can answer: Usually I listen to every interview I can catch and to every coach's show but I must admit my attention is wavering since I am getting so little satisfaction from the program at this time. In the past the previous coach always built up any player sitting out (and IIRC that was true going back two or three regimes. I will give McDevitt props for not over hyping these players in the media or if he is I haven't heard it. Regardless, we all know that Dishman was penciled in as a starter (I've never understood that based on his stats from EKU) and that Jordan Davis and Jalen Jordan come in with apparent abilities (I do wonder why Davis left the highly regarded Dayton program - could it be he was recruited over?).
Just wonder from your limited(?) information which players sitting out will demand PT next year?

Not sure about Jordan & Davis but I’ll have a better feel for them in the off season.. Dishman is the teams best passer right now and his presence is sorely missed.. imagine Green, Jones, & Sims getting inside-out passes made quickly & decisively during post double teams.. with whoever plays I’m hoping to see at least one Batman appear, currently too many Robins on this squad..