I think that shoulder height is a better measurement, even though no one uses it. Height differences from the shoulders up have no utility. I remember when we had a highly ranked recruit, Chris Seter, but he has a really long neck. he had the body of a 6’5" player.
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Superb job. No doubt about it.
Wingspan is probably equally as important. Trey Burke and Derrick Walton are both 6ft point guards, but Burke had a 6-5 wingpsan. That’s a big differentiator.
No idea what Brooks’ wingspan is, but DeJulius measured in with a 6-3 wingspan at Nike 100 (underclassmen camp) so that’s a good start.
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FWIW I had Dave with a 6’3 wingspan as well. Greg Elliott was 6’6.5 wingspan
I’m not sure exactly what his wingspan is but here’s a quote from City of Love Basketball.
“6-0, 165-pound lead guard with the wingspan of a small forward.”
I certainly give you credit for not doubling down on your original opinion just for the sake of being stubborn. Many people would. I do think Brooks and DJ Wilson are good examples of why it makes sense to just let things unfold a little before rushing to judgment on the coaching staff’s evaluations. Certainly they are not always right, but they generally seem to know what they’re doing. Even JB’s biggest misses are not nearly as bad as K’Len Morris, Jarrett Smith, Ant Wright (likeable guy), Kendrick Price, Amadou Ba, and Ron Coleman.
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I like his quickness and his handle. He’s got good vision, too. But man his outside shot worries me. Not just that he misses a lot, but his release is slow and he kinda hoists it up there instead of shooting it fluidly. I was hoping with his body type he could be a sort of Sherman Douglas like player, but Sherm has a lot better form on his jumper. I’m not throwing in the towel, but I’m definitely tempering my expectations.
There is certainly merit to your contention. With respect to DJ, I’ll say my piece and we can take it to PM if you’d like to continue. While DJ has certainly exceeded all expectations relative to last year, as the season progresses those very issues/concerns I had about him in my HS evaluation appear to still exist (I.E. Lacking lateral agility on the perimeter, not enough motor/intensity on the interior). And at the end of the day it was the functional equivalent of wasting a scholarship for 2 years, and as I predicted, he did not contribute until his third year regardless of the reason why. So for me, I tend to think my eval was a bit closer to getting it ‘right’, but I can see arguments that take the opposite side as well.
All that said, DJ is having an above average year overall with 10ppg and 6rpg. Has certainly surpassed any reasonable expectation I had for him in terms of shooting.
Well, let’s step back a minute.
Some guys you recruit with the expectation they will develop over time, and others you expect to be “instant impact” guys.
No program recruits a class full of “instant impact” guys every year unless they are able to replace them the very next year. That’s a narrow group of schools - UK, Duke, and KU. Even those schools get their share of “program” guys who play well as upperclassmen - Quinn Cook being a prime example, and he was an important part of Duke’s national championship team in 2015.
Our “instant impact” guy in the 2014 class at the four position was Chatman. Both you and I (and obviously many others) thought he could contribute right away. Wilson was clearly a longer term project.
Let’s also be realistic - we didn’t, for example, quit recruiting Kevan Looney because we preferred DJ Wilson.
So really, when you frame the question the right way, it becomes this: was DJ Wilson worth offering a scholarship?
Right now, he averages 10.2/6.3/1.4/.556/.435. And he’s got two years of eligibility left. And that’s where I disagree with your argument when you say, “he did not contribute until his third year regardless of the reason why.” The “reason why” here is very important, because it means he’s got another whole year of eligibility left.
If you knew, for example, that Austin Davis could post the averages above (without, of course, the three point shooting) in two years, I think you would have to view his offer much differently - especially, like in the case of Wilson, if it appears he still has upside.
Your criticisms of DJ were pretty accurate, to some degree. To me, the ability to play above the rim and block shots is a component of athleticism, and he’s shown a lot of that. So I’d disagree with your view that he’s not athletic. But I do agree, his lateral quickness is not great, and that matters.
But those criticisms, put in context, are reasons why he may turn out to be a good-but-not great player, not reasons why you don’t offer the guy at all.
I’d also say that while DJ may never be able to fix the lateral agility issue, I feel like every game (other than Wisconsin), he shows us something new offensively. He’s getting more confident (and competent) off the dribble, and he’s showing some moves and skill around the basket. Two years from now, it would not shock me to see him as a real inside/outside threat.
And I’d say the same about Wagner, too - clearly offering him was the right choice, IMO.
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Why are we talking about DJ Wilson (again) in the Eli Brooks thread?
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Great point as I always thought it was an underrated physical trait and wish we had more length on this team. For more disruption on the defensive end and also kid has a chance to grow taller with the big wingspan as well. Those exact reasons are why I have liked Elliott, give me the 6-3 kid with 6-7 wingspan over the 6-5 height and wingspan.
Wingspan and standing reach are what is important. Long wingspan does not necessarily translate into a high standing reach. High standing reach does not necessarily translate into a long wingspan, either.
One of these guys has more hair.
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Some of those guys were a lot better than Carlton Brundidge just saying.
Villanova just got a commitment from a PG who only had mid major offers. Not sure if he is underrated or not but hard to believe they couldn’t pull a top target coming off a championship. Brooks had that offer and most assumed he would end up there.
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Actually, as a senior last year with UD, Brundidge averaged 10.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, shooting .496 from the floor. He wasn’t the right fit with us, but those numbers are way better than any of the guys above I listed as Amaker’s misses.
You mean winning the championship (or in our case, making the title game) doesn’t automatically get you every five star kid you want?
Entirely possible they only wanted a backup PG for the 2017 cycle to ease the transition from Brunson to whatever big time they sign in 2018/19.
It’s good to read your positive comments.