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New commit from Russia
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Re: New commit from Russia
In his 4 years at South Dakota, Coach Smith had 3 international players on his roster. That includes Aggie fan-favorite Adam Thoesby, who was not recruited by Coach Smith. The primary recruiting grounds for Coach Smith and his staff at South Dakota were Texas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Colorado. This staff still heavily recruits Texas.nvspuds wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 9:23 amDid Smith recruit a lot of international players at his last job?OrangeCountyAggie wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 11:55 pmSerious question, is this just a personal observation, or is this at all concern inside program circles? By my count, Smith's crew has landed 3 American (scholarship) recruits (Anderson, Worster, Anthony) and 5 internationals (Queta, Zapala, Shulga, Vedischev, McChesney). You could count Ashworth as a re-recruit. Still a bit unusual.aggies22 wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 3:42 pmAt this point in time, I think the coaching staff is finding it easier to recruit elite international talent to Logan.OrangeCountyAggie wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 3:22 pmI love it! Why limit your recruiting to just the US (or Utah)? There are great players to be found all over the world, you'd be foolish to limit yourself.
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Re: New commit from Russia
That is a very good post that speaks the truth about our recruiting problems.aggies22 wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:19 amAt this point, it's just a personal observation. Not only is it difficult to sell in-state recruits on Logan Utah, I think it's tough to sell Logan Utah to kids period. When competing against beaches, bright lights, and much bigger cities (PAC-12 and Mountain West) for recruits, it can be tough. Logan isn't a sexy sell but if we continue to win, it will become easier to sell to kids who truly WANTS to win and win a lot. If a kid is looking for individual accolades and a good time, Logan will never be a good landing spot for a kid like that.OrangeCountyAggie wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 11:55 pmSerious question, is this just a personal observation, or is this at all concern inside program circles? By my count, Smith's crew has landed 3 American (scholarship) recruits (Anderson, Worster, Anthony) and 5 internationals (Queta, Zapala, Shulga, Vedischev, McChesney). You could count Ashworth as a re-recruit. Still a bit unusual.aggies22 wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 3:42 pmAt this point in time, I think the coaching staff is finding it easier to recruit elite international talent to Logan.OrangeCountyAggie wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 3:22 pmI love it! Why limit your recruiting to just the US (or Utah)? There are great players to be found all over the world, you'd be foolish to limit yourself.
We'll see just how successful this dive into the international player pool is. On paper, it looks like a really good group. All the kids that play on the U19, U18 teams for the U.S. teams are all very high 3, 4, or 5-star guys. So, although it is difficult for me to get our international kids rated by my higher-ups, one could assume that all our signings are at least high 3-star recruits. They are part of the pool of kids that are the best in their age groups from their respective countries.
I do agree that our approach is unusual. However, take a look at our western state neighbors at Gonzaga and St. Mary's. They have used a very similar approach for years and it works very well for those schools. The jury is out on how well it is going to work at Utah State but the initial look is very promising in my opinion.
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Re: New commit from Russia
I don't necessarily think it's a "problem", it's more like a hurdle that the current coaching staff appears to have been clever enough to overcome. Keep in mind, our coaching staff landed a group of players this promising WITHOUT being able to travel abroad and recruit these dudes in person. This was accomplished over the internet and by phone.oleblu111 wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:34 amThat is a very good post that speaks the truth about our recruiting problems.aggies22 wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:19 amAt this point, it's just a personal observation. Not only is it difficult to sell in-state recruits on Logan Utah, I think it's tough to sell Logan Utah to kids period. When competing against beaches, bright lights, and much bigger cities (PAC-12 and Mountain West) for recruits, it can be tough. Logan isn't a sexy sell but if we continue to win, it will become easier to sell to kids who truly WANTS to win and win a lot. If a kid is looking for individual accolades and a good time, Logan will never be a good landing spot for a kid like that.OrangeCountyAggie wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 11:55 pmSerious question, is this just a personal observation, or is this at all concern inside program circles? By my count, Smith's crew has landed 3 American (scholarship) recruits (Anderson, Worster, Anthony) and 5 internationals (Queta, Zapala, Shulga, Vedischev, McChesney). You could count Ashworth as a re-recruit. Still a bit unusual.aggies22 wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 3:42 pmAt this point in time, I think the coaching staff is finding it easier to recruit elite international talent to Logan.OrangeCountyAggie wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 3:22 pmI love it! Why limit your recruiting to just the US (or Utah)? There are great players to be found all over the world, you'd be foolish to limit yourself.
We'll see just how successful this dive into the international player pool is. On paper, it looks like a really good group. All the kids that play on the U19, U18 teams for the U.S. teams are all very high 3, 4, or 5-star guys. So, although it is difficult for me to get our international kids rated by my higher-ups, one could assume that all our signings are at least high 3-star recruits. They are part of the pool of kids that are the best in their age groups from their respective countries.
I do agree that our approach is unusual. However, take a look at our western state neighbors at Gonzaga and St. Mary's. They have used a very similar approach for years and it works very well for those schools. The jury is out on how well it is going to work at Utah State but the initial look is very promising in my opinion.
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Re: New commit from Russia
I do believe Smith at least traveled at some point to visit Zapala last year. It seems that the coaches have really worked in developing relationships with these international early.aggies22 wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:46 amI don't necessarily think it's a "problem", it's more like a hurdle that the current coaching staff appears to have been clever enough to overcome. Keep in mind, our coaching staff landed a group of players this promising WITHOUT being able to travel abroad and recruit these dudes in person. This was accomplished over the internet and by phone.oleblu111 wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:34 amThat is a very good post that speaks the truth about our recruiting problems.aggies22 wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:19 amAt this point, it's just a personal observation. Not only is it difficult to sell in-state recruits on Logan Utah, I think it's tough to sell Logan Utah to kids period. When competing against beaches, bright lights, and much bigger cities (PAC-12 and Mountain West) for recruits, it can be tough. Logan isn't a sexy sell but if we continue to win, it will become easier to sell to kids who truly WANTS to win and win a lot. If a kid is looking for individual accolades and a good time, Logan will never be a good landing spot for a kid like that.OrangeCountyAggie wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 11:55 pmSerious question, is this just a personal observation, or is this at all concern inside program circles? By my count, Smith's crew has landed 3 American (scholarship) recruits (Anderson, Worster, Anthony) and 5 internationals (Queta, Zapala, Shulga, Vedischev, McChesney). You could count Ashworth as a re-recruit. Still a bit unusual.aggies22 wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 3:42 pmAt this point in time, I think the coaching staff is finding it easier to recruit elite international talent to Logan.OrangeCountyAggie wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 3:22 pmI love it! Why limit your recruiting to just the US (or Utah)? There are great players to be found all over the world, you'd be foolish to limit yourself.
We'll see just how successful this dive into the international player pool is. On paper, it looks like a really good group. All the kids that play on the U19, U18 teams for the U.S. teams are all very high 3, 4, or 5-star guys. So, although it is difficult for me to get our international kids rated by my higher-ups, one could assume that all our signings are at least high 3-star recruits. They are part of the pool of kids that are the best in their age groups from their respective countries.
I do agree that our approach is unusual. However, take a look at our western state neighbors at Gonzaga and St. Mary's. They have used a very similar approach for years and it works very well for those schools. The jury is out on how well it is going to work at Utah State but the initial look is very promising in my opinion.
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Re: New commit from Russia
It's when they start bringing in a bunch of Thai players that you have to raise your eyebrow. Why so many "recruiting" trips to Thailand, one would ask.slcagg wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 11:11 amI do believe Smith at least traveled at some point to visit Zapala last year. It seems that the coaches have really worked in developing relationships with these international early.aggies22 wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:46 amI don't necessarily think it's a "problem", it's more like a hurdle that the current coaching staff appears to have been clever enough to overcome. Keep in mind, our coaching staff landed a group of players this promising WITHOUT being able to travel abroad and recruit these dudes in person. This was accomplished over the internet and by phone.oleblu111 wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:34 amThat is a very good post that speaks the truth about our recruiting problems.aggies22 wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:19 amAt this point, it's just a personal observation. Not only is it difficult to sell in-state recruits on Logan Utah, I think it's tough to sell Logan Utah to kids period. When competing against beaches, bright lights, and much bigger cities (PAC-12 and Mountain West) for recruits, it can be tough. Logan isn't a sexy sell but if we continue to win, it will become easier to sell to kids who truly WANTS to win and win a lot. If a kid is looking for individual accolades and a good time, Logan will never be a good landing spot for a kid like that.OrangeCountyAggie wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 11:55 pmSerious question, is this just a personal observation, or is this at all concern inside program circles? By my count, Smith's crew has landed 3 American (scholarship) recruits (Anderson, Worster, Anthony) and 5 internationals (Queta, Zapala, Shulga, Vedischev, McChesney). You could count Ashworth as a re-recruit. Still a bit unusual.aggies22 wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 3:42 pmAt this point in time, I think the coaching staff is finding it easier to recruit elite international talent to Logan.OrangeCountyAggie wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 3:22 pmI love it! Why limit your recruiting to just the US (or Utah)? There are great players to be found all over the world, you'd be foolish to limit yourself.
We'll see just how successful this dive into the international player pool is. On paper, it looks like a really good group. All the kids that play on the U19, U18 teams for the U.S. teams are all very high 3, 4, or 5-star guys. So, although it is difficult for me to get our international kids rated by my higher-ups, one could assume that all our signings are at least high 3-star recruits. They are part of the pool of kids that are the best in their age groups from their respective countries.
I do agree that our approach is unusual. However, take a look at our western state neighbors at Gonzaga and St. Mary's. They have used a very similar approach for years and it works very well for those schools. The jury is out on how well it is going to work at Utah State but the initial look is very promising in my opinion.
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Re: New commit from Russia
Culturally I can say that Ukraine, Poland and Russia are a perfect match, culturally, for northern Utah. These kids will fit right in without problems. It will even remind them of home and the mountains will provide added benefit that they didn't have before.
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Re: New commit from Russia
We just need to get the front row guys to wear Adidas tracksuits and they'll never know the difference.AggieFBObsession wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 12:23 pmCulturally I can say that Ukraine, Poland and Russia are a perfect match, culturally, for northern Utah. These kids will fit right in without problems. It will even remind them of home and the mountains will provide added benefit that they didn't have before.
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Re: New commit from Russia
I believe that Fakira was also originally recruited for USD and was one of those Summit League recruits that ended up just being ships passing in the night or Knights.nvspuds wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 9:23 amDid Smith recruit a lot of international players at his last job?OrangeCountyAggie wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 11:55 pmSerious question, is this just a personal observation, or is this at all concern inside program circles? By my count, Smith's crew has landed 3 American (scholarship) recruits (Anderson, Worster, Anthony) and 5 internationals (Queta, Zapala, Shulga, Vedischev, McChesney). You could count Ashworth as a re-recruit. Still a bit unusual.aggies22 wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 3:42 pmAt this point in time, I think the coaching staff is finding it easier to recruit elite international talent to Logan.OrangeCountyAggie wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 3:22 pmI love it! Why limit your recruiting to just the US (or Utah)? There are great players to be found all over the world, you'd be foolish to limit yourself.
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Re: New commit from Russia
aggies22 wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:30 amIn his 4 years at South Dakota, Coach Smith had 3 international players on his roster. That includes Aggie fan-favorite Adam **Thoesberry (fixed it for you), who was not recruited by Coach Smith. The primary recruiting grounds for Coach Smith and his staff at South Dakota were Texas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Colorado. This staff still heavily recruits Texas.nvspuds wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 9:23 amDid Smith recruit a lot of international players at his last job?OrangeCountyAggie wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 11:55 pmSerious question, is this just a personal observation, or is this at all concern inside program circles? By my count, Smith's crew has landed 3 American (scholarship) recruits (Anderson, Worster, Anthony) and 5 internationals (Queta, Zapala, Shulga, Vedischev, McChesney). You could count Ashworth as a re-recruit. Still a bit unusual.aggies22 wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 3:42 pmAt this point in time, I think the coaching staff is finding it easier to recruit elite international talent to Logan.OrangeCountyAggie wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2020, 3:22 pmI love it! Why limit your recruiting to just the US (or Utah)? There are great players to be found all over the world, you'd be foolish to limit yourself.
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Re: New commit from Russia
Culturally or geographically?AggieFBObsession wrote:Culturally I can say that Ukraine, Poland and Russia are a perfect match, culturally, for northern Utah. These kids will fit right in without problems. It will even remind them of home and the mountains will provide added benefit that they didn't have before.
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Re: New commit from Russia
The Russian Five worked well for the wings back in the 90s but they did have Sergei Fedorov!AggieFBObsession wrote:Besides English being the common language here, Russian is the other common language now. Ukrainians not only speak Ukrainian but also Russian. Obviously the kid from Russia speaks Russian. I also know that Kuba speaks Russian. I'm sure the other Polish kid speaks Russian too.
There could be a Russian speaking lineup on the court. Haha
As for the questions about political tension, it's not going to be a factor at all unless Shulga has lost a family member or close friend to the war and brings it up in conversation and the same is true for Vedischev.
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Re: New commit from Russia
I would say that Spokane was a pretty hard sell until Gonzaga started winning also. A couple more years of getting good seeds at the tournament and recruiting will get easier.
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Re: New commit from Russia
These two keep being pointed out as the models of success but these programs achieved success because that international talent is/was mixed with elite athleticism (usually from the US). I still think we are missing that component and it is found on several other MWC squads...many of which aren't from teams located near beaches or glitzy lights and don't have near the basketball tradition, venue, or fan support that Aggies do.Imakeitrain wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 7:45 pmGonzaga and SMC have had a lot of success with international players.
There is no reason we should not be getting 1 or 2 high caliber US players given what this program has done over the past 20 years on the court, the privilege to play in the Spectrum, and having coach Smith.
If places like Fort Collins, Laradise, Reno, and even Albuquerque can land them with a bit of regularity then we should have no problem landing one occassionally in Logan.
Re: New commit from Russia
I don’t follow SMC very much but I don’t remember them having much elite athleticism. I feel like they don’t have that but find other ways to win without elite athleticism. ie system, patience, team defense, etc. Am I wrong?Aglicious wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 9:37 pmThese two keep being pointed out as the models of success but these programs achieved success because that international talent is/was mixed with elite athleticism (usually from the US). I still think we are missing that component and it is found on several other MWC squads...many of which aren't from teams located near beaches or glitzy lights and don't have near the basketball tradition, venue, or fan support that Aggies do.Imakeitrain wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 7:45 pmGonzaga and SMC have had a lot of success with international players.
There is no reason we should not be getting 1 or 2 high caliber US players given what this program has done over the past 20 years on the court, the privilege to play in the Spectrum, and having coach Smith.
If places like Fort Collins, Laradise, Reno, and even Albuquerque can land them with a bit of regularity then we should have no problem landing one occassionally in Logan.
Not saying I don’t want some elite athleticism at USU just think the staff has a focus on length which can make up for a lack of athleticism.
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Re: New commit from Russia
Just this past season the Gaels were lead by Malik Fitts and Jordan Ford, I would consider that far more athletic than anything the Aggies had. Queta is probably the only player we have in the conversation.nswaggie wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:02 pmI don’t follow SMC very much but I don’t remember them having much elite athleticism. I feel like they don’t have that but find other ways to win without elite athleticism. ie system, patience, team defense, etc. Am I wrong?Aglicious wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 9:37 pmThese two keep being pointed out as the models of success but these programs achieved success because that international talent is/was mixed with elite athleticism (usually from the US). I still think we are missing that component and it is found on several other MWC squads...many of which aren't from teams located near beaches or glitzy lights and don't have near the basketball tradition, venue, or fan support that Aggies do.Imakeitrain wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 7:45 pmGonzaga and SMC have had a lot of success with international players.
There is no reason we should not be getting 1 or 2 high caliber US players given what this program has done over the past 20 years on the court, the privilege to play in the Spectrum, and having coach Smith.
If places like Fort Collins, Laradise, Reno, and even Albuquerque can land them with a bit of regularity then we should have no problem landing one occassionally in Logan.
Not saying I don’t want some elite athleticism at USU just think the staff has a focus on length which can make up for a lack of athleticism.
I agree that coach Smith and company have put a premium on length and we seem to have a system (even if it is not as regimented as Stews) and we play with a "team" mentality. Perhaps having an elite athlete doesn't fit into what coach Smith is comfortable with from that team approach to the game. I just think at some point you have to have elite athletes if you want to make the next step as a program and compete at the tourney
We'll find out in the next few years if this heavy international approach works in the MWC. There is no more Merrill and the incredible fortune of having a Queta-type player fall in your lap is not going to happen every couple of years.
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Re: New commit from Russia
But Gonzaga and SMC are private schools where basketball garners all the attention and money. Can’t be said for Utah State.
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Re: New commit from Russia
What have we done over the past 20 years? For Stew’s last few years and the Duryea years we weren’t a good basketball teamAglicious wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 9:37 pmThese two keep being pointed out as the models of success but these programs achieved success because that international talent is/was mixed with elite athleticism (usually from the US). I still think we are missing that component and it is found on several other MWC squads...many of which aren't from teams located near beaches or glitzy lights and don't have near the basketball tradition, venue, or fan support that Aggies do.Imakeitrain wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 7:45 pmGonzaga and SMC have had a lot of success with international players.
There is no reason we should not be getting 1 or 2 high caliber US players given what this program has done over the past 20 years on the court, the privilege to play in the Spectrum, and having coach Smith.
If places like Fort Collins, Laradise, Reno, and even Albuquerque can land them with a bit of regularity then we should have no problem landing one occassionally in Logan.
How many national recruits are those schools getting? UNR had some recently and back when w we were in the WAC. How recruited was Nance Jr. out of Wyo?
The important thing is I believe we are doing better with recruiting.
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Re: New commit from Russia
I don't know what metrics would be considered "elite", but Coach Smith has mentioned that Bairstow and Bean both have officially measured 40 inch verticals. Bean's "quick twitch" athleticism help him tremendously on the offensive glass. At the very least, they are both very good athletes. Queta's size and mobility put him in the good/very good athlete category as well IMO. We will see what Marco Anthony brings to the table, but several players have mentioned in interviews that he's a tank when he gets downhill. I don't think we're as far behind athletically as we believe. If you're assessing the incoming class, there are some athletic limitations there. They look very skilled, but maybe average athletically.Aglicious wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:57 pmJust this past season the Gaels were lead by Malik Fitts and Jordan Ford, I would consider that far more athletic than anything the Aggies had. Queta is probably the only player we have in the conversation.nswaggie wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:02 pmI don’t follow SMC very much but I don’t remember them having much elite athleticism. I feel like they don’t have that but find other ways to win without elite athleticism. ie system, patience, team defense, etc. Am I wrong?Aglicious wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 9:37 pmThese two keep being pointed out as the models of success but these programs achieved success because that international talent is/was mixed with elite athleticism (usually from the US). I still think we are missing that component and it is found on several other MWC squads...many of which aren't from teams located near beaches or glitzy lights and don't have near the basketball tradition, venue, or fan support that Aggies do.Imakeitrain wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 7:45 pmGonzaga and SMC have had a lot of success with international players.
There is no reason we should not be getting 1 or 2 high caliber US players given what this program has done over the past 20 years on the court, the privilege to play in the Spectrum, and having coach Smith.
If places like Fort Collins, Laradise, Reno, and even Albuquerque can land them with a bit of regularity then we should have no problem landing one occassionally in Logan.
Not saying I don’t want some elite athleticism at USU just think the staff has a focus on length which can make up for a lack of athleticism.
I agree that coach Smith and company have put a premium on length and we seem to have a system (even if it is not as regimented as Stews) and we play with a "team" mentality. Perhaps having an elite athlete doesn't fit into what coach Smith is comfortable with from that team approach to the game. I just think at some point you have to have elite athletes if you want to make the next step as a program and compete at the tourney
We'll find out in the next few years if this heavy international approach works in the MWC. There is no more Merrill and the incredible fortune of having a Queta-type player fall in your lap is not going to happen every couple of years.
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Re: New commit from Russia
Before we all start to spout about how great the basketball program is keep in mind that we have not won a game in the NCAA tournament since 2001, that is a long time, also Logan is a very small city with a nearly all white population it is not all that easy to get elite players to come here, you need to find the right fit.aggies95 wrote: ↑June 24th, 2020, 7:48 amI don't know what metrics would be considered "elite", but Coach Smith has mentioned that Bairstow and Bean both have officially measured 40 inch verticals. Bean's "quick twitch" athleticism help him tremendously on the offensive glass. At the very least, they are both very good athletes. Queta's size and mobility put him in the good/very good athlete category as well IMO. We will see what Marco Anthony brings to the table, but several players have mentioned in interviews that he's a tank when he gets downhill. I don't think we're as far behind athletically as we believe. If you're assessing the incoming class, there are some athletic limitations there. They look very skilled, but maybe average athletically.Aglicious wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:57 pmJust this past season the Gaels were lead by Malik Fitts and Jordan Ford, I would consider that far more athletic than anything the Aggies had. Queta is probably the only player we have in the conversation.nswaggie wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 10:02 pmI don’t follow SMC very much but I don’t remember them having much elite athleticism. I feel like they don’t have that but find other ways to win without elite athleticism. ie system, patience, team defense, etc. Am I wrong?Aglicious wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 9:37 pmThese two keep being pointed out as the models of success but these programs achieved success because that international talent is/was mixed with elite athleticism (usually from the US). I still think we are missing that component and it is found on several other MWC squads...many of which aren't from teams located near beaches or glitzy lights and don't have near the basketball tradition, venue, or fan support that Aggies do.Imakeitrain wrote: ↑June 23rd, 2020, 7:45 pmGonzaga and SMC have had a lot of success with international players.
There is no reason we should not be getting 1 or 2 high caliber US players given what this program has done over the past 20 years on the court, the privilege to play in the Spectrum, and having coach Smith.
If places like Fort Collins, Laradise, Reno, and even Albuquerque can land them with a bit of regularity then we should have no problem landing one occassionally in Logan.
Not saying I don’t want some elite athleticism at USU just think the staff has a focus on length which can make up for a lack of athleticism.
I agree that coach Smith and company have put a premium on length and we seem to have a system (even if it is not as regimented as Stews) and we play with a "team" mentality. Perhaps having an elite athlete doesn't fit into what coach Smith is comfortable with from that team approach to the game. I just think at some point you have to have elite athletes if you want to make the next step as a program and compete at the tourney
We'll find out in the next few years if this heavy international approach works in the MWC. There is no more Merrill and the incredible fortune of having a Queta-type player fall in your lap is not going to happen every couple of years.
We seem to be doing excellent with coach Smith with back to back titles. I believe we had a shot at a NCAA win this past season. We are very lucky to have him here. I do not believe this last team had elite athlete's and they seemed to do ok.