Garrett Sundra - 2024 Wing (Notre Dame)

Assuming this goes ND, is Kebba Njie the only other recruiting battle we've lost to Shrews? It feels like more since he became a head coach.

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Logan Imes, guard from Zionsville

 

With me living in Zionsville, you would think that one would have stuck out in my mind...

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Both—think it’s down to BU and ND with the lean to ND.


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I don't know how hard we pursued it, but we also offered Cole Cerda, 2024 ND commit.

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Set to commit Aug. 10th - last visit was to ND

 

So tired of participation trophies for final 5s

 

I don’t have inside knowledge here but would bet a fortune were coming in second place here.

 

ND isn’t messing around with NIL.


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That's why I feel Micah went there. They convinced him they would do what it takes, and they are following through.

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Let me first say I'd rather have Sundra and other sub-top-100 HS recruits than not.

That said, NOT landing these types of recruits could be a blessing in disguise. In the age of NIL, I see 2 big risks associated with landing 4-star HS recruits.

1. He doesn't live up to expectations and we're kind of stuck with him.
2. He exceeds expectations and transfers where the money is.

I was a big fan of Thad's off-season strategy of targeting under-the-radar transfers - guys with toughness, chips on their shoulder, and with multiple years of eligibility remaining.

Don't get me wrong, if a guy like Finley is biting, you set the hook and reel him in. But the strategy we saw implemented and executed during the portal may be the formula for BU for the foreseeable future, at least until the pay-to-play mess gets sorted out (if it ever does).

 

Agree this strategy is appropriate for now, but Thad has stated you need “2-3 dudes” to field a competitive team in the BE. And “dudes” expect comparable NIL. It’s crucial we get up to speed in this area at least until things do get sorted out.


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Agreed, assuming by "2-3 dudes", you and Thad mean guys like Kamar, Kelan, Dunham, McDermott, etc. that have unique skill sets and can make things happen offensively. We certainly won't win without those types of players and the lack of them the last 3 seasons has been my chief complaint with the team.

The question in my mind, then, is whether we can find them in the portal. I think a player like Brooks could turn a lot of heads, but HS recruits may be the better well to draw from to find the "it factor" players. And if it is, to your point, we're going to have to find a way to keep them financially to experience long-term success.

 

The bird in hand > 2 in the bush... or something like that. Worrying about a player leaving because they became too good could seems futile. If a player committed to play for Butler, they obviously had an affinity for Butler and if they were a top prospect maybe did so at a lesser NIL price.
If all these articles that people post are true that allegedly top players pick schools because of their relationship with the staff over NIL money, then you want a great staff (Thad's great) who can land top prospects. Top prospects are statistically more likely to become top players. I want top prospects (LFG Biz).

 

I get really concerned if we can't land 4*, or similar, players in the 2024 class. After 24 - 25, we have 4 guys. So, after a year of development these two schollies would, theoretically, be "the guys" at their positions. If you can't sell that, it's concerning. There have been guys who want to play for this staff but didn't come here because of NIL. We have to get it competitive until/unless things change.

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People keep waiting around for things to change, but there just isn't any catalyst for it to do so. It sucks to admit but Butler is stuck with inertia that, at this point, is basically akin to DePaul. If you don't expect DePaul's fortunes to miraculously change, you shouldn't expect Butler's...

Hoping it does is another thing entirely. I think we all hope it does, but hope isn't a strategy.

This is what we are as a member of this conference. If its worth it for other reasons, so be it, but it is what it is.

 

Not just 4*, we need to bag top 100 guys. How does a team like DePaul with terrible basketball get 4 top-100s in 4 years and we’ve only had 1 in the last 10 years. Hell, 2 in the history of the program (and Battle only lasted half a season)

 

Among Kamar, Kelan, Dunham and McDermott I’m saying only Kamar has a “unique skill set” - emphasis on unique. He’s so versatile with physical & intangible skills.


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I recall you feeling this might be changing when we hired Thad and added more money for assistant coaches. Since then, there have been a couple of occasions where it sounded like Barry wasn't giving Thad what he felt they needed. Since then, Danko received the scathing responses to that survey about 6 months ago. That *appears* to have gotten his attention with Grant being hired (his fund raising success at NC and Marquette highlighted), Advancement members and Danko being present at All Good Dawgs dinner (Barry was not at the one I attended, though), Crone hired for AGD, etc. I don't know what type of visibility you have to the university and its commitment to the program, but do you feel like they have gotten the message and are making the commitment necessary or do you feel it's lacking? I think everyone would agree that it's late which will be very difficult to overcome even if we are doing what is needed, now.

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Thanks for laying that all out as there has been some progress that isn’t always recognized. I’ll add that staff has also been added to the academic advising office. Certain that more changes/progress is yet to come.


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