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Bruce vs Freeze recruiting strategy
Posted on 4/24/24 at 8:14 am
Posted on 4/24/24 at 8:14 am
I think that Freeze betting on the high school recruiting strategy is a bigger gamble than he is willing to admit. It will be interesting to see how it works out.
With the transfer portal and NIL it just feels like Bruce’s strategy of “get old quick“ is the better play. Loyalty is out the window. Player development is out the window. You find the pieces someone else has developed that fit your needs and you plug them in.
I know they are completely different sports with a much lower player-count in basketball, but Lane Kiffin is doing the same thing at Ole Miss and they are poised for their best season in their history. They are stacked and they are mature.
I hope I’m wrong and I hope Freeze can build a culture and a program with his approach, but it doesn’t feel like that’s the strategy these days.
With the transfer portal and NIL it just feels like Bruce’s strategy of “get old quick“ is the better play. Loyalty is out the window. Player development is out the window. You find the pieces someone else has developed that fit your needs and you plug them in.
I know they are completely different sports with a much lower player-count in basketball, but Lane Kiffin is doing the same thing at Ole Miss and they are poised for their best season in their history. They are stacked and they are mature.
I hope I’m wrong and I hope Freeze can build a culture and a program with his approach, but it doesn’t feel like that’s the strategy these days.
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Posted on 4/24/24 at 8:23 am to TailbackU
I don't think we know best what strategy works best for football. Still pretty early on in the life of NIL/Portal era.
For basketball, Bruce's strategy definitely makes sense with smaller rosters.
For basketball, Bruce's strategy definitely makes sense with smaller rosters.
Posted on 4/24/24 at 8:26 am to TailbackU
Lane and Bruce are in similar situations so adding Lane is of good judgement.
Both know they have rosters chock full of talent capable of big runs, so they are adding quality veteran depth to help solidify them.
Both know they have rosters chock full of talent capable of big runs, so they are adding quality veteran depth to help solidify them.
Posted on 4/24/24 at 8:42 am to auburnnyc94
Yeah it’s gonna hard to compare between the sports given the roster sizes.
Posted on 4/24/24 at 9:25 am to TailbackU
Lane like Bruce are coaching programs that are historically lesser programs: ole Miss football and Auburn basketball. Freeze isn’t in that boat coaching a historic top 13 program all time: Auburn football.
Posted on 4/24/24 at 9:34 am to TailbackU
quote:Look at every single playoff champ - solid core of HS players with select transfer pieces added in. In football you need that solid HS talent base to make up the bulk of your team then you can add from the portal selectively. There is no way we could have pulled a receiver group like this out of the transfer portal.
I think that Freeze betting on the high school recruiting strategy is a bigger gamble than he is willing to admit.
Who knows - maybe Lane pulls off a spectacular run, but that definitely hasn't been the norm on the football side of things.
This post was edited on 4/24/24 at 9:35 am
Posted on 4/24/24 at 12:29 pm to ALhunter
quote:
solid core of HS players
If the culture is such that they decide to stay, then I agree with you. Hard to tell yet if those are the kind of players Freeze is signing or not. I think Freeze is leaning into it and relying on faith that this is the correct path, so I guess the proof will be in the pudding. Auburn is going to play a lot of young players this year and they'll take their lumps so I hope the AU fam will be patient. It's not our long suit. We can be our own worst enemy in that way.
If Kiffin wins big this year with a program that is a traditional also-ran, you'll see a lot of coaches lean to his way of recruiting. Kind of a crossroads for CFB.
Posted on 4/25/24 at 7:19 am to TailbackU
It’s much easier to keep football players around to develop. Basketball players are pussys and jump ship at the first sign of adversity.
Posted on 4/25/24 at 8:28 am to TiggerWoods
quote:
It’s much easier to keep football players around to develop. Basketball players are pussys and jump ship at the first sign of adversity.
Completely disagree. I also think basketball players are more well rounded and get in trouble less.
Posted on 4/26/24 at 12:27 pm to jangalang
Just ask the armed encampment in Tuscaloosa.....
Posted on 4/29/24 at 8:36 am to bluedragon
Still frisking the basketball players over there?
Posted on 4/29/24 at 10:56 am to TiggerWoods
Nowadays, if they aren't playing then they're going to leave. That's just what it is. The transfer rules are probably hurting college sports more than the NIL at this point.
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