Hoops Recruiting

So (more for my benefit than any of yours) here's the recruiting under Tony Bennett.

2010
#47 KT Harrell
#71 James Johnson
#132 Joe Harris
#155 Will Regan
#248 Akil Mitchell
#308 Billy Baron

2011
#95 (South Carolina) Anthony Gill
#99 Malcolm Brogdon
#114 Paul Jesperson
NR Darion Atkins

2012
#50 Justin Anderson
#79 Evan Nolte
#81 Mike Tobey
#243 Taylor Barnette
#245 Teven Jones

2013
#22 (Memphis) Austin Nichols
#123 Devon Hall
#124 London Perrantes
#191 (Tennessee) Darius Thompson

2014
#98 B.J. Stith
#145 Isaiah Wilkins
#163 Marial Shayok
#353 Jack Salt

2015
#33 Mamadi Diakite
#158 Jarred Reuter

2016
#38 Kyle Guy
#44 Ty Jerome
#60 Jay Huff
#92 DeAndre Hunter

2017
#345 Marco Anthony


Current Roster:
#33 Mamadi Diakite
#38 Kyle Guy
#44 Ty Jerome
#60 Jay Huff
#92 DeAndre Hunter
#123 Devon Hall
#124 London Perrantes
#145 Isaiah Wilkins
#158 Jarred Reuter
#163 Marial Shayok
#191 (Tennessee) Darius Thompson
#353 Jack Salt


Are we like-minded that 2016 is more the ideal, "best case" sort of scenario, and maybe not the sweet spot?

To me, the sweet spot is #75-100 types with the occasional #35-50 guy and a very occasional top-35 guy. Average recruit: #75.

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Recruiting Tier 1: Duke, Kentucky, Carolina, Kansas... they have the fish jumping into the boat. They don't recruit, they shop. We'll never get to that level. At least, I'd never expect to. I'd probably never aspire to (screw AAU, screw cheating). We'll never be an OAD destination.

Recruiting Tier 2: Arizona, Louisville, Ohio State, Florida, UConn, Syracuse, Texas, Michigan, Michigan State, UCLA, Indiana, Maryland, maybe a few others are top-15 recruiting fixtures. Maybe we can get to that level, but I wouldn't expect it. Maybe in filling the vacuum left by retirements of K, Roy, Boeheim, Pitino, etc. it becomes possible. (I think 2020-2030 is the new *most important decade ever* when it comes to setting a new, higher-than-ever trajectory for Virginia Basketball.)

Recruiting Tier 3: This is where we probably are now. Maybe, kinda, sorta. Oregon, NC State, Purdue, Georgetown, Villanova, Pitt, Florida State, Xavier, Marquette, Illinois, Notre Dame, Mizzou, West Virginia, Arkansas, Baylor, Cincy, Cal, USC, Miami, Vandy, LSU, Texas A&M... that's our recruiting scrum.


To get to Duke level, we have to unequivocally rise at least to Recruiting Tier 2 while maintaining our culture, system, and pillars. Five fingers have to make a fist.

To rise higher than we are, others have to drop. Who drops? That might be another way to attack this. If Virginia Basketball remains a constant force, who drops down to allow us space to rise up?