LaVall’s Last Season

He did make demands/requests & got much, I.e. converting the West Gym into a 24/7 practice facility; this impacted many other programs on campus. He got a salary bump. As many will recall, the “bolt” was his fumbling on social media about staying then leaving within a few days. And so it is. No real surprise butler couldn’t compete with OSU financially. And OSU is NOT a top 5 program IMO.


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After watching IU - Ohio State game yesterday I don’t see them as a top 25 team. But that is just watching the game and my eyes don’t fail me.

 

Reading some box scores today/tonight...couple names I saw who we didn't go after (twice) who wanted us and another we kinda went after but nothing too hard...Laravia and Pack...they'd look real nice at Butler right about now. Both are balling out at the high major level.

For some reason LJ never wanted to sniff Laravia (twice) and flirted but I don't think ever really was hard core on Pack. Sigh.

 

I was watching some of the Wake-Syracuse game yesterday and thinking the same thing about LaRavia. Seems like a huge miss in retrospect.

I can't say I thought it was a miss at the time as I don't follow the recruiting side that closely, but I remembered him being someone folks here talked about.

 

But why recruit players who are known to shoot well? How would that be beneficial in basketball?

 

Yeah, I commented a few weeks ago, too bad the school is located in Indiana. Where can you possibly find a few kids who can actually shoot the ball?

 

I was in on him a little, but I had other fans/alum I know that live up there who were in on him a ton. Loved the size/skill aspect of his game, hell even made some Hayward comparisons. Which, I told them to cool down the burners but it did get me following a little more and I thought his game then and damn, especially now would be the voodoo that's really missing. Can shoot and can go get the ball.

And, depending on who you believe...he was holding out very much in HS, waiting, hoping for a Butler offer. He wanted us according to some people on the ground up there. To watch him these last couple years...it's a true shame LaVall had no interest. His game has transferred very nicely into ACC big time ball. I was curious to see results and damn he's having a nice season.

 

For an offense...well whatever they run...that shoots 20-25 threes a game? No dude you don't need shooting. Why the hell would we want that? Think we're bad now? We'd have maybe two wins.

 

To be more specific, Jake Laravia is playing 35 minutes a game, averages 15 points a game, shooting 60 percent from the field including 40 percent from 3, 6.8 boards per game and 3.4 assists per game for a 13-3 Wake Forest team. Six eight and 235.

 

For those saying our staff cannot recruit, we never should have recruited these players and our team lacks talent....

Hughes…

Groce…

Taylor…

Thomas…

Simas….
QUOTE="iluvsnow, post: 238654, member: 213"]Here is 6 minutes of Youtube video. I like a lot!!!! [/QUOTE]

Harris….

Were the opinions sh*t then? Or opinions sh*t now? Or more likely both?

 

Nijel Pack
Jake LaRavia (2x)
Conner Essegian
Luke Goode

All Indiana kids known for shooting who didn't go to IU, ND, or Purdue. I've made my opinion clear that I don't prefer LaVall's strategy of recruiting athleticism & length > skill, but my opinion doesn't matter. c'est la vie

 

Sorry

 

I pretty much feel the same way. I would just be careful not to suggest that recruiting athletic, versatile players implies that they’re not skilled as well. With that said - I would gladly trade in what little length and athleticism we have on the roster in exchange for more players that fit the mold of “players who can shoot, pass, and dribble.” These are what Mid-Majors make do with all the time, and I don’t think having that as your foundation is such a bad thing, even in the Big East.

 

I do not blame him, but he was never going to stay here. He was looking for a bigger job from the moment he was hired as an assistant. We could never match what OSU would offer in terms $$$$ or facilities or cachet. He was not going to stay here.

He also does not care about the program. He took the entire staff with him. He took the highest rated recruit from that year with him. He cares about himself and as long he is there, the OSU program.

 

I tend to agree. Beginning with he left his head coaching position to be an assistant to a first time head coach @ Butler. Cachet: the new Big East conference


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He played for Indiana State last year before transferring where he shot 47% from the floor including 31% from three and 6.2 rebounds per game. He certainly has improved his shooting percentages from last year’s mid-major team. Too bad we didn’t know he was going to improve his shooting this year and had an open scholarship.

Really great to see a kid who averaged 5 points a game as a junior in high school whose best offers when he graduated were from Incarnate Woods, SIU- Edward’s, Evansville and IUPI with stops at Indiana State make it at Wake Forest in his senior year

LJ should have known that in four years this kid would have had a big impact this year.

Then again he would have sucked here because all of our recruits suck.

 

Were the opinions sh*t then? Or opinions sh*t now? Or more likely both?[/QUOTE]

I’d go with who cares?

 

I remember Doyle at the IndyStar claiming Laravia was the next coming and a future NBAer. That alone kinda turned me off.


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I mean, I dislike Doyel as much as the next guy, but.



Vecenie is a very respected NBA draft guy.

 

Please tell me when I **** on the current freshman. Plenty of room for growth…potential to be the fav class ever because they’re all local. All have promise, but they prob won’t be developed.