Started By
Message
re: 2015 Auburn Basketball Recruiting Thread
Posted on 7/24/15 at 1:40 pm to marshallcotiger
Posted on 7/24/15 at 1:40 pm to marshallcotiger
continued:
On Auburn's schedule
"In the non-conference, you get to send your team a message, and that is whether you believe in them or not. If you schedule soft, and you are not willing to travel, you send them a message that I don't think we are very good, and we need to play the soft schedule, and I'm not doing it. I didn't do it last year and as a result, we were 8-5 in non-conference, and that is just not good enough to get it done.
"When Jay Jacobs asked me what it's going to take to become a Top 25 program, one of the first things I told him was we have to schedule like one. I believe in putting our team in harm's way. I think that philosophy enabled us to win at LSU and at Georgia and play well on the road. We played well at Alabama. We played well at Tennessee. We played well at Missouri. We were competitive."
"Three road games at Coastal Carolina, at Middle Tennessee and at Xavier in non-conference along with the Diamond Head Classic with four really good NCAA Tournament teams, to be one of the 10 teams selected from the SEC to be in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge is significant.
"Bringing back the rivalry with UAB, folks say you have everything to lose and nothing to gain, and I disagree with that. UAB has the edge in the series (10-7). They were in the NCAA Tournament last year, and we weren't in any tournament last year. They bring most of their team back, and I bring five of my guys back. We are up against it, but it is a great opportunity."
On Auburn's common SEC opponents in Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss
"Great rivals. I think it makes sense. Obviously, Alabama is our rival. Georgia is the closest SEC East school to our campus. It has been a great rival in football and that makes sense. Then, Ole Miss or Mississippi State would have probably been the other school. I am happy with our draw. Would I like it to be Florida and Kentucky? I would have loved to have got Kentucky, but so would everybody else because of how it would help the strength of schedule and the RPI."
On possibly selling out of season tickets 2 straight years
"We have not given enough of a return to the investment that Auburn has made yet. I'm hoping that we can this year. Sometimes fans wait. It is kind of like what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Some fans want to wait. If you are good, they will come. Auburn fans want to come and help you be good and understand that is part of the process. Our Auburn fans and our student body create a homecourt advantage that we didn't take advantage of. They create it. This is a tough place to play. Not because the team that we put out there but because of the environment and the support and sellouts. As our teams get better, we will take more advantage of it. We had several hard sellouts. There were several games where I couldn't get tickets for friends, family, neighbors. I had to say no on tickets. That's way, way ahead of schedule. That word is out there. By the way, it is out there with television, too. They know if they come to Auburn Arena, they are going to be entertained and that is going to help us get more and more quality TV games."
On the 1000 APR academically and graduating 5 of 5 seniors
"It takes a village. It is a culture. It's a cultural commitment. It starts with our faculty and the way they work with our kids. The Student Athlete Development Center is as good as any place I have ever been. Between the integrity of it, the tutors, the mentors, the advisors, it is a great resource. You know what? Our kids need the assistance. Many of them are behind and didn't have quite the same preparation that a lot of the Auburn student body enjoyed. As the student body continues ... the average ACT of the incoming freshman class is 28 now. Our athletes have to work harder to compete in the classroom, and they do. I'm proud that our team GPA is 3.0. I'm proud that we are there. My staff, our coaching staff and the discipline of our program ... if you don't perform in the classroom, then it will affect the role that you are going to play on the court. Our guys know that. I will give my players freedom on the court, and they will enjoy playing for me. I will tolerate certain turnovers and certain things on the court that a little more disciplined coaches would never do, but I will not tolerate them not performing in the classroom and not competing in the classroom. I'm really, really proud of the way those guys have done, and we can do better in the classroom, and we will."
On what last season did for Auburn in terms of building your program, winning 5 games vs. NCAA Tournament teams and winning 3 games in the SEC Tournament for the first time in 30 years
"It gave us some hope. It gave our fan base some hope. That's what they were hoping and kind of thought they would see during the season with our coaching staff coming in. At the same time, they were realistic to know what we were inheriting. But, for a weekend in March, and it's significant that it was in March, they were able to see what it can look like. For a weekend in March, our fans were not going to work on a Friday afternoon or were getting home early to find a place to watch the game against LSU. That's what March Madness is all about. There were few days in early March where Auburn men's basketball was the national story. It didn't last long, but our people embraced it, they relished in it, and they got a taste. I think for our players ... the only lesson there is we just didn't quit. I never blamed the players. It wasn't their fault, but they kept buying in and last year's team, Coach (Pat) Dye has gone on record saying that last year's team reminded him of his first team at Auburn in 1981. One of my goals would be, I want to prove those words to be accurate, and the only way that I can do that is if my future teams start to play like his teams played. That team last year did lay a foundation."
On the new rule changes
"As far as I am concerned, our game wasn't broken. I would have been fine if we didn't make any rule changes. The Final Four was compelling. The ratings for college basketball were way up again, especially in postseason. Our game is more physical because we have a secondary defender. We play zone defenses. Our kids play about a third of the games that the NBA play, and it is harder to score. I know scoring is down. I understand that. Our kids aren't as skilled as the pros, and if you want to watch more scoring, watch more NBA and watch less college basketball. I don't think we should change rules. As a coach, I'm not willing to contribute to the fact that our game is not watchable. I think our game is beautiful."
On Auburn's schedule
"In the non-conference, you get to send your team a message, and that is whether you believe in them or not. If you schedule soft, and you are not willing to travel, you send them a message that I don't think we are very good, and we need to play the soft schedule, and I'm not doing it. I didn't do it last year and as a result, we were 8-5 in non-conference, and that is just not good enough to get it done.
"When Jay Jacobs asked me what it's going to take to become a Top 25 program, one of the first things I told him was we have to schedule like one. I believe in putting our team in harm's way. I think that philosophy enabled us to win at LSU and at Georgia and play well on the road. We played well at Alabama. We played well at Tennessee. We played well at Missouri. We were competitive."
"Three road games at Coastal Carolina, at Middle Tennessee and at Xavier in non-conference along with the Diamond Head Classic with four really good NCAA Tournament teams, to be one of the 10 teams selected from the SEC to be in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge is significant.
"Bringing back the rivalry with UAB, folks say you have everything to lose and nothing to gain, and I disagree with that. UAB has the edge in the series (10-7). They were in the NCAA Tournament last year, and we weren't in any tournament last year. They bring most of their team back, and I bring five of my guys back. We are up against it, but it is a great opportunity."
On Auburn's common SEC opponents in Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss
"Great rivals. I think it makes sense. Obviously, Alabama is our rival. Georgia is the closest SEC East school to our campus. It has been a great rival in football and that makes sense. Then, Ole Miss or Mississippi State would have probably been the other school. I am happy with our draw. Would I like it to be Florida and Kentucky? I would have loved to have got Kentucky, but so would everybody else because of how it would help the strength of schedule and the RPI."
On possibly selling out of season tickets 2 straight years
"We have not given enough of a return to the investment that Auburn has made yet. I'm hoping that we can this year. Sometimes fans wait. It is kind of like what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Some fans want to wait. If you are good, they will come. Auburn fans want to come and help you be good and understand that is part of the process. Our Auburn fans and our student body create a homecourt advantage that we didn't take advantage of. They create it. This is a tough place to play. Not because the team that we put out there but because of the environment and the support and sellouts. As our teams get better, we will take more advantage of it. We had several hard sellouts. There were several games where I couldn't get tickets for friends, family, neighbors. I had to say no on tickets. That's way, way ahead of schedule. That word is out there. By the way, it is out there with television, too. They know if they come to Auburn Arena, they are going to be entertained and that is going to help us get more and more quality TV games."
On the 1000 APR academically and graduating 5 of 5 seniors
"It takes a village. It is a culture. It's a cultural commitment. It starts with our faculty and the way they work with our kids. The Student Athlete Development Center is as good as any place I have ever been. Between the integrity of it, the tutors, the mentors, the advisors, it is a great resource. You know what? Our kids need the assistance. Many of them are behind and didn't have quite the same preparation that a lot of the Auburn student body enjoyed. As the student body continues ... the average ACT of the incoming freshman class is 28 now. Our athletes have to work harder to compete in the classroom, and they do. I'm proud that our team GPA is 3.0. I'm proud that we are there. My staff, our coaching staff and the discipline of our program ... if you don't perform in the classroom, then it will affect the role that you are going to play on the court. Our guys know that. I will give my players freedom on the court, and they will enjoy playing for me. I will tolerate certain turnovers and certain things on the court that a little more disciplined coaches would never do, but I will not tolerate them not performing in the classroom and not competing in the classroom. I'm really, really proud of the way those guys have done, and we can do better in the classroom, and we will."
On what last season did for Auburn in terms of building your program, winning 5 games vs. NCAA Tournament teams and winning 3 games in the SEC Tournament for the first time in 30 years
"It gave us some hope. It gave our fan base some hope. That's what they were hoping and kind of thought they would see during the season with our coaching staff coming in. At the same time, they were realistic to know what we were inheriting. But, for a weekend in March, and it's significant that it was in March, they were able to see what it can look like. For a weekend in March, our fans were not going to work on a Friday afternoon or were getting home early to find a place to watch the game against LSU. That's what March Madness is all about. There were few days in early March where Auburn men's basketball was the national story. It didn't last long, but our people embraced it, they relished in it, and they got a taste. I think for our players ... the only lesson there is we just didn't quit. I never blamed the players. It wasn't their fault, but they kept buying in and last year's team, Coach (Pat) Dye has gone on record saying that last year's team reminded him of his first team at Auburn in 1981. One of my goals would be, I want to prove those words to be accurate, and the only way that I can do that is if my future teams start to play like his teams played. That team last year did lay a foundation."
On the new rule changes
"As far as I am concerned, our game wasn't broken. I would have been fine if we didn't make any rule changes. The Final Four was compelling. The ratings for college basketball were way up again, especially in postseason. Our game is more physical because we have a secondary defender. We play zone defenses. Our kids play about a third of the games that the NBA play, and it is harder to score. I know scoring is down. I understand that. Our kids aren't as skilled as the pros, and if you want to watch more scoring, watch more NBA and watch less college basketball. I don't think we should change rules. As a coach, I'm not willing to contribute to the fact that our game is not watchable. I think our game is beautiful."
3
Posted on 7/24/15 at 2:21 pm to marshallcotiger
I am sure the last 3 posts are good stuff but I ain't reading all that. Anyone care to make and share cliffs? TIA.
Posted on 7/24/15 at 2:57 pm to ellitor
Auburn stacked SEC fricked
I'd just read the player notes. The rest is already out there in some form.
I'd just read the player notes. The rest is already out there in some form.
Posted on 7/24/15 at 2:59 pm to marshallcotiger
quote:
Auburn stacked SEC fricked
Posted on 7/26/15 at 2:32 pm to marshallcotiger
Thanks for posting. Some say tl/dr but I say I read it all and got my basketball fix.
Posted on 7/27/15 at 11:48 am to marshallcotiger
Definitely glad I read the entire thing. Pearl is committed to Auburn no doubt
Posted on 7/28/15 at 1:58 pm to Rig
2017 is shaping up to be a monster year on the recruiting trail.
Five-star 2017 big man sure of at least one visit: 6-foot-10 power forward Wendell Carter Jr. has plenty of time before he has to make a college decision, as he’s one of the top prospects in the Class of 2017. However that doesn’t mean that schools can’t make an impression on he and his family, which is the case for one SEC program in particular.
In speaking with Carter following the Georgia Stars’ comfortable victory in their second game of the day at the Las Vegas Classic, he mentioned that Auburn will be a school that he’ll definitely check out when he’s able to take official visits (January 2016 at the earliest).
“I just know that Auburn’s going to be my very first visit, my first official visit,” Carter told NBC Sports when asked about possible visits in the future, and he had a simple reason as to why.
“My mom. She really likes the school.”
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl was one of the head coaches in the gym for Carter’s game, with Kansas’ Bill Self and Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton also in attendance. (RJ)
LINK
Five-star 2017 big man sure of at least one visit: 6-foot-10 power forward Wendell Carter Jr. has plenty of time before he has to make a college decision, as he’s one of the top prospects in the Class of 2017. However that doesn’t mean that schools can’t make an impression on he and his family, which is the case for one SEC program in particular.
In speaking with Carter following the Georgia Stars’ comfortable victory in their second game of the day at the Las Vegas Classic, he mentioned that Auburn will be a school that he’ll definitely check out when he’s able to take official visits (January 2016 at the earliest).
“I just know that Auburn’s going to be my very first visit, my first official visit,” Carter told NBC Sports when asked about possible visits in the future, and he had a simple reason as to why.
“My mom. She really likes the school.”
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl was one of the head coaches in the gym for Carter’s game, with Kansas’ Bill Self and Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton also in attendance. (RJ)
LINK
Posted on 7/28/15 at 2:05 pm to marshallcotiger
quote:Just watched tape.. A;DASFKJSADKJFDBLDFKJREHRWREIVHNIEH4334TWHESJSDKF THAT IS THE MOST ATHLETIC BIG MAN I'VE SEEN ON TAPE IN A LONG TIME.
Wendell Carter Jr.
That kid can do it all.. he can play from the outside, he handles the ball pretty well, he's got great hands and touch on the inside. It was so pretty I cried tears of happiness that he'd even consider Auburn.
Someone hold me.
Posted on 7/28/15 at 4:45 pm to Rig
Him at the PF and Wiley at C would be a hell of a combo. I'm trying not to think about it though. Too many trips to the bathroom might raise some uncomfortable questions.
Posted on 7/28/15 at 5:09 pm to marshallcotiger
fap
Posted on 7/29/15 at 2:07 pm to AUtigR24
Austin Wiley has us in his top schools....shocker. 
Posted on 7/31/15 at 9:41 pm to thirdlawson
Is this going to be the thread for the fall signing period, or is there going to be a thread to cover the 15-16 recruiting year as a whole?
Just curious. Doing a little (late) spring cleaning
Just curious. Doing a little (late) spring cleaning
Posted on 8/1/15 at 4:19 pm to Lee County Tiger
I don't think we need a new thread. There's only like 10 of us that care enough to talk about it
Posted on 8/4/15 at 7:54 pm to Rig
@JLeeAU21: Power forward receives offer from Auburn, immediately accepts it. Big commit for AU-> LINK
quote:
All Anfernee McLemore needed to end his recruitment was an offer from Auburn. The three-star power forward received it Tuesday night.
I committed," McLemore said. "I talked to them tonight and it feels great. I felt good that they would offer and when they did, I accepted it."
McLemore, 6-foot-7 and 205 pounds, chose Auburn over offers from Yale, Brown, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, South Carolina, Tulsa, Wofford and College of Charleston, among others.
This post was edited on 8/4/15 at 7:56 pm
Posted on 8/4/15 at 8:05 pm to Spiggly
In that article it says we have a commit named Mike Cohen? Who the hell is that
Posted on 8/4/15 at 8:16 pm to AUcs13
Great question... 
Posted on 8/4/15 at 8:18 pm to Spiggly
He looks really long which is a big plus. Not too impressed with his offer list but in college hoops you can make a team full of 3 stars play on the level of top tier teams so I trust Pearl to develop these guys
Posted on 8/4/15 at 8:33 pm to Spiggly
Yeah he seems smart to land offers from some Ivy Leagues.
Posted on 8/5/15 at 1:50 pm to Spiggly
quote:
@JLeeAU21: 4.0 GPA. Offers from Yale and Brown, among others. Oh, and he averaged 19 pts & 6.8 blocks last year... LINK
At least his grades will be fine
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