In Reply to: Even more damning, IMO... posted by ClockBlocker on April 21, 2026 at 14:05:42
>>Even more damning, IMO...
...is to compare the guys he got per class versus that guys that were available per class.
The guys he got were kinda sorta ok/mid/meh/fine. The guys who got away...ouch. Some serious regret there. shoulda/woulda/coulda.<<
That MIGHT be true, in a vacuum. But the broader context is that there are over 361 Division I college basketball programs competing for all that talent from HS and the TP. Obviously those that are most successful have BIG NIL budgets and/or are on ESPN every other day and thrive on that huge exposure. (Yes, UCLA's games that start at 9, 10, even 11 p.m. on TV in the East is problematic.)
There are only so many top players to go around. Should we do better? Of course. Should Cronin do better? Of course. But is he a "poor" or "terrible" (or pick your term) recruiter? No, and I think Dr.Bruin's discussion of that and the examples he gave are evidence of that.
I truly think that, if some major donor or donors were to pony up a lot more cash, we'd find out that Cronin is a very good recruiter.
>>Of course, part of the reason why guys didn't and don't come here is borne out by the Dent Experience...
I don't think Blackwell wants to get Dented. There's no body shop on the planet that can repair the damage to that cherry 2026 DraftRep Donovan bought for full MSRP. Fool me once, shame on you....fool me twice...won't get fooled again!
But is that really on Cronin? Doesn't Donovan Dent have to take a LOT of the blame for his performance on the floor?