I'm ready for Tommy to close on some big names.

[TripleGreen]

Originally Posted by Jersey Spartan

You should be the coach then.

And you should be Tom Izzo's personal fluffer.

[thenatural15]

For those of you who believe Izzo missed on CDR I thought you might find this interesting, its a quote from today's Lansing State Journal, in an article by Joe Rexrode:
"
"I mean, I think that kid deserves a lot of credit," Izzo said. "He really has taken his game to another level. It wasn't that us or Michigan or anybody else missed. (Memphis) got him, but it wasn't like he was everybody's superstar. He's made himself a great player. He's made himself an All-American, and he and Calipari deserve credit for that, they really do."

This was part of the same article....

Douglas-Roberts, a former star at Detroit Cass Tech and Northwestern, was recruited but not offered a scholarship by MSU coach Tom Izzo. He was an erratic, turnover-prone player as a freshman, but has blossomed into a Naismith Award finalist as a junior - joining North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, Kansas State's Michael Beasley and UCLA's Kevin Love.

I completely agree that some of Izzo's plan B's or C's or D's haven't quite been where all the rest of us would like. And I think one of Izzo's main issues is he doesn't recruit outside the midwest very often, at least not nearly as vigorously as he does within the midwest. Don't take me wrong the midwest is very rich in talent but I believe with the system that we run at times we don't get the dynamic type of player like J-Rich enough...someone who can create their own shot like KL does to help break down a defense.

Whats funny though is KL reminds me a lot of what many thought Brandon Cotton would bring to MSU before transferring to U of D...I mean really U of DETROIT????

[TripleGreen]

Originally Posted by thenatural15

For those of you who believe Izzo missed on CDR I thought you might find this interesting, its a quote from today's Lansing State Journal, in an article by Joe Rexrode:
"
"I mean, I think that kid deserves a lot of credit," Izzo said. "He really has taken his game to another level. It wasn't that us or Michigan or anybody else missed. (Memphis) got him, but it wasn't like he was everybody's superstar. He's made himself a great player. He's made himself an All-American, and he and Calipari deserve credit for that, they really do."

This was part of the same article....

Douglas-Roberts, a former star at Detroit Cass Tech and Northwestern, was recruited but not offered a scholarship by MSU coach Tom Izzo. He was an erratic, turnover-prone player as a freshman, but has blossomed into a Naismith Award finalist as a junior - joining North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, Kansas State's Michael Beasley and UCLA's Kevin Love.

I completely agree that some of Izzo's plan B's or C's or D's haven't quite been where all the rest of us would like. And I think one of Izzo's main issues is he doesn't recruit outside the midwest very often, at least not nearly as vigorously as he does within the midwest. Don't take me wrong the midwest is very rich in talent but I believe with the system that we run at times we don't get the dynamic type of player like J-Rich enough...someone who can create their own shot like KL does to help break down a defense.

Whats funny though is KL reminds me a lot of what many thought Brandon Cotton would bring to MSU before transferring to U of D...I mean really U of DETROIT????

Nice debut post and welcome to the board. I agree with your point about Izzo's Midwest-centric recruiting and how it sometimes curtails his efforts to maintain continuity in the program if he misses on his top target or two. And things can become even harder when he doesn't recruit the PSL as hard as the talent that the PSL annually produces suggests that he should recruit it. Note: I know all about the coaches and handlers and uncles aunties brothers that you have to deal with when you recruit certain kids in the D. It can be annoying, trying and a bitch...but with Ramar Smith, Manny, Hairston, Crawford, CDR, etc...sometimes the extra effort is worth the hassel. Not always...but sometimes.

Izzo should ALWAYS be recruiting a few 6'5" to 6'8" long athletic wings who can crash the boards and slash to the hoop. IMO you can never have enough Mo Pete's, Jason Richardson's, Alan Anderson's, Raymar Morgan's and Delvon Roe's. Wings like that are so versatile that they're worth their weight in gold. If Izzo can't find those kind of players in the Midwest in any given year....he needs to start looking outside of the Midwest instead of settling for so many sub 6'5" wings.

[Jersey Spartan]

Originally Posted by TripleGreen

Nice debut post and welcome to the board. I agree with your point about Izzo's Midwest-centric recruiting and how it sometimes curtails his efforts to maintain continuity in the program if he misses on his top target or two. And things can become even harder when he doesn't recruit the PSL as hard as the talent that the PSL annually produces suggests that he should recruit it. Note: I know all about the coaches and handlers and uncles aunties brothers that you have to deal with when you recruit certain kids in the D. It can be annoying, trying and a bitch...but with Ramar Smith, Manny, Hairston, Crawford, CDR, etc...sometimes the extra effort is worth the hassel. Not always...but sometimes.

.

Another person spewing the myth that Izzo does not recruit the PSL hard...

Manny would have been a Spartan if Izzo offered. Sam Hosey (Da Chairman) made that statement on the Michigan Rivals Free Board before the season started.

CDR never showed interest in MSU.

Seriously where are Manny, Hairston, and Crawford at right now? Ramar Smith was coming off the bench for Tennessee. It's not like they are all all americans.

Don't think I back Izzo on everything he does. I have gone back and fourth on his decision to take Travis Walton over Dominic James but Travis Walton is clearly the better defender and if he choose to take James we probably would not have Kalin Lucas right now.

I just don't like that you say that MSU could have had CDR instead of MoJo? Where do you get this? CDR never had interest in MSU. Check out this article from when CDR was the #24 recruit in the countrt.

"The No. 24 ranked player in the class of 2005 Chris Douglas-Roberts had a tough outing during his first Youth Festival game. The 6-foot-5, 180-pound combo guard from Cass Tech in Detroit , Mich. , went scoreless in only 12 minutes of action. The good news for Douglas-Roberts, however, is that an ACC power has put a scholarship offer on the table.

“Duke is interested now and North Carolina ,” said Douglas-Roberts. “They both have called, Greg Paulus and Josh McRoberts have been recruiting me hard. Duke offered when they called. North Carolina has not offered yet.”

When asked if these two schools were now at the top of his list, Douglas-Roberts could only come up with one other school that stands along side the two ACC powers.

“They are not alone at the top,” he said. “I also like Arizona . I can’t think of any others. Usually I carry a card around with all my schools on it.”

Douglas-Roberts did say he planned to make a decision soon, but that it would not come before the Nike All-American Camp.

Apparently, Douglas-Roberts and the coaching staff of the North squad are not seeing eye to eye. Douglas-Roberts spent three quarters of the game on the end of the bench during the North’s four point loss to the South. While in the game, he was effective went 0 for 3 from the field."

The following day is when he decided not to show up for his game.

He showed those coaches who had the power.

[eglee88]

Originally Posted by Jersey Spartan

Another person spewing the myth that Izzo does not recruit the PSL hard...

Manny would have been a Spartan if Izzo offered. Sam Hosey (Da Chairman) made that statement on the Michigan Rivals Free Board before the season started.

CDR never showed interest in MSU.

Seriously where are Manny, Hairston, and Crawford at right now? Ramar Smith was coming off the bench for Tennessee. It's not like they are all all americans.

Don't think I back Izzo on everything he does. I have gone back and fourth on his decision to take Travis Walton over Dominic James but Travis Walton is clearly the better defender and if he choose to take James we probably would not have Kalin Lucas right now.

I just don't like that you say that MSU could have had CDR instead of MoJo? Where do you get this? CDR never had interest in MSU. Check out this article from when CDR was the #24 recruit in the countrt.



The following day is when he decided not to show up for his game.

He showed those coaches who had the power.