Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Tuesday Thoughts

Lance Stephenson

Cincinnati? WOW!!! Where did this come from. I do like Mick Cronin who has a long basketball history in that area. Plus his Dad was a great HS coach there and young Mick learned alot from him and others I am sure. But why would Lance turn down St. Johns, Seton Hall and Rutgers (If They wanted him)?

John Chaney once told me his recruiting method. I had called him to alert him about a guard in NYC who I thought would be very good at Temple. He asked me point blank as he always did, "Just How Good Is He?" I answered he is good enough to play for you at Temple. He laughed and said if that is the case he would never recruit him. You see John Chaney only recruited kids from outside of the Philly area who would be GREAT and Star at Temple. Like Mark Macon from Michigan! He told me that good guards are a dime a dozen in big cities like NY and Philly. If he wanted a kid, especially a guard, who was just very good, he did not have to go far to recruit him. He could get plain good right in Philly and take the train to see the kid as he often did even when he came up to NYC.

I tell this story because I feel the same way when it comes to kids attending college to play basketball. If a kid has Ivy options, Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, Stanford, certain Big Ten schools, etc. I understand them leaving the area. But to leave area programs such as SJU, SHU, RU, etc. to attend Cincinnati is interesting to say the least. If I was a college AD and this happened I would question who is doing the recruiting. However we all understand the Lance case is sorta different. But again Cincinnati? It still amazes me how kids turn down area schools to go far away for what they can get right here. It also is a concern based on kids not understanding alumni connections and career options in an area you wish to reside in after college. Want to work and live in NY, Pa, NJ, Conn.? Attending college in the area could be beneficial!

I know Cincinnati has great tradition with Oscar Robertson who still attends games. I also know first hand that the facilities are nice and the school is very good with an outstanding Cooperative Education component. Maybe Lance wanted the Coop Program lol? Nah......I doubt he is interested in doing an internship.

Looking at the Cincinnati roster, it seems they could be very good next season and getting Lance is the icing on the cake. But dog gone it Lance could have Made SJU such a better team and been almost a NYC college basketball savior as the Red Storm filled up MSG like they did years ago. First Xavier gets certain area kids, now it is Cincinnati. One thing for ACC and others to get kids. Now Cincinnati is taking kids away.

Rutgers Gets Beaty

Good pick-up for Rutgers. But what about Corey Chandler? will they play a 3 guard line-up? Will he be happy coming off the bench? Will he come off the bench? Is it just me or does anyone else see problems with a 3 guard RU line up with the bigs being The big fella and Enchinique? Will they have problems with Chandler if he comes off the bench? What happens if Chandler beats out Beaty and starts at the point? It all has the making of a interesting season at Rutgers. Hopefully they will turn it around.

Hoop Group Event

Heard about all the craziness at the recent metro event. All I can say is sometimes things happen! The Hoop Group is and always was a CLASS Organization, even if they do charge to much for those HS Tournaments at various locations.

Summer Leagues

Summer leagues are starting and it is nice to see the young kids out competing. 8 year olds playing so hard running the court. Who will be the future stars? Maybe Hoop Scoop will publish the top babies born this year. Number 1 could be baby Jonah Jones who came in at 8 pounds 7 ounces and 25 inches. Heard a number of schools have inquired already. Oops before I forget, remember my grandson Logan? He is close to turning two years old and already demanding the ball, something his dad did not do lol. On a recent trip to his other Grand Parents home in Texas he was seen dunking on the small hoop with authority. maybe Texas will get involved. If not he could always go to Xavier or Cincinnati.

5 comments:

Fordham_57 said...

"It also is a concern based on kids not understanding alumni connections and career options in an area you wish to reside in after college. Want to work and live in NY, Pa, NJ, Conn.? Attending college in the area could be beneficial!"

Wow, isn't that the truth.

Frank

LFBall said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
LFBall said...

It is the truth. Every kid in D1, D2, and D3 when deciding on schools feel they have a chance to make the NBA. rarely do they feel the need to establish alumni contacts in their home area if that is where they wish to reside. It is the same with West Coast kids. Why they would venture from California to play for Provodence or Boston College I do not know. Lance is thinking 1 and done and does not realize the NBA is not definate for anyone based on the injury factor as much as college being different from HS.

Raritan_Mike said...

LF: I had a separate question. Since you're a longtime follower of NYC hoops, I was wondering if you recall a guard from the Bronx that went to American University in the late 1970s named Stanley Lamb. He teamed up with Bo Bowers from Westfield and gave Gary Williams a nice one-two scoring punch. Lamb was a top-10 scorer nationally, and Bowers might also have been. Then Lamb was kicked off the team after the first semester due to a transcript issue (He had just transferred in). I wonder if Doron Lamb is his son or a relative. Any idea? Stan could definitely hoop, a beefy 6'2" guard.

LFBall said...

I watched Stanley Lamb when he played. Very good player. Not sure if Doran is related to him but I will find out in a second with a phone call......OK called two D1 coaches close to Stanley Lamb and they both said they did not think so. Also said Doran Lamb is a Lower Eastside of New York kid as oppossed to being from the Bronx. But you never know because everything is connected in NYC lol.