2023 Target List

He's an undersized 2 guard that's been the same size his whole HS career and is a year older than his class. He got exposed by our own BJ Edwards. There's a reason big time programs aren't actively recruiting him.
Not many big time programs were recruiting Grant Williams 🤷‍♂️ His footwork will help make up for any size disadvantages IMO. He’s in High school with Kyrie Irving level foot work, and Russell Westbrook level athleticism.
 
Come on...we have already whiffed on numerous 2022 kids. I have given the list multiple times, so I won't do it again, but it is around 10 kids. The only kid we signed lives 15 minutes from campus. There is enough evidence just in the 2022 class to be concerning. And again, concerning doesn't equal freaked out, but you can't pacify my concerns by openly admitting that recruiting has taken a step back in 2022, and then sugarcoat it in the same sentence. Either it has fallen off or it hasn't.

My point was that 2022 class looked right on par with 2018 and 2019, it’s a step back from 2020 & 2021, so which 2 year span was the actual reality? I never said we didn’t miss on any 2022 targets, I simply said that this class looks much like 2 of the 4 previous classes, take from that what you want.

Now, sure, in 2022, thanks to the transfer portal and coaching changes, we get a mulligan on some kids that we missed on or have scouted throughout college basketball. It's why I'm not completely off the rails because we have a chance to build our roster in more creative ways than we did three years ago.

I think the problem is that I'm talking more big picture issues, and you are focused on the short-term plugs in the dam. And if that is what it takes to get our legs underneath us on the recruiting front, then so be it. As I said earlier, I can be won back to the flock. But, our new assistants were brought in with the reputation of being great recruiters with tons of connections. I wouldn't think those kinds of people would need a two-year running start to make waves.

Gainey & Clark have been here just about a year as of today, I haven’t once said give them til next April have I?
 
I mean, if he’s peaked he’s good enough right now to probably go to the NBA. He could play the rookie Anfernee Simons role and probably even contribute more than he did. His footwork is next level.
lol nah, i don’t know if he is on that type of level. Simons is a pure bucket
 
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lol nah, i don’t know if he is on that type of level. Simons is a pure bucket
You’re not wrong. I’m talking rookie Simons though, he average 3.8 PPG on 44% from the field. Mikey could easily match those PPG imo.
 
Not many big time programs were recruiting Grant Williams 🤷‍♂️ His footwork will help make up for any size disadvantages IMO. He’s in High school with Kyrie Irving level foot work, and Russell Westbrook level athleticism.

Grant wasn't heavily recruited for completely different reasons. Mikey's been one of the most famous teenagers for the last 4 years. Nobody knew who Grant was.

Mikey's a lazy defender, takes a lot of bad shots and has benefited from being stronger/ more developed athletically than his peers. His peers have caught up to him and he's nowhere near as dominant now.

Kyrie is the best ball handler to ever touch the hardwood so not really comparable. Westbrook is bigger and is more explosive. Mikey just has a good vertical- not elite, just good. A lot of people in his class have developed higher verts by now.
 
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My point was that 2022 class looked right on par with 2018 and 2019, it’s a step back from 2020 & 2021, so which 2 year span was the actual reality? I never said we didn’t miss on any 2022 targets, I simply said that this class looks much like 2 of the 4 previous classes, take from that what you want.



Gainey & Clark have been here just about a year as of today, I haven’t once said give them til next April have I?
Two years meaning two classes (2022 and 2023), not two calendar years. And I never attributed that time frame to you other than the idea that while you remain patient, you also seem willing to punt on 2022 and wait to see what they do in 2023 to judge their efforts and abilities as recruiters.

Considering that you are cautioning people that the 2022 class isn't complete as of April 2022 and for everyone to remain patient on this class, isn't it reasonable to expect you'll be doing the same a year from now for the 2023 class? And won't that be two years?
 
Grant wasn't heavily recruited for completely different reasons. Mikey's been one of the most famous teenagers for the last 4 years. Nobody knew who Grant was.

Mikey's a lazy defender, takes a lot of bad shots and has benefited from being stronger/ more developed athletically than his peers. His peers have caught up to him and he's nowhere near as dominant now.

Kyrie is the best ball handler to ever touch the hardwood so not really comparable. Westbrook is bigger and is more explosive. Mikey just has a good vertical- not elite, just good. A lot of people in his class have developed higher verts by now.
And that's why I don't see Tennessee pursuing.
 
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Yea, not even close. Besides the fact I guarantee you Westbrook’s vertical is much higher there’s more that goes into athleticism than just vertical. I will say, I enjoyed watching Edwards eat Williams lunch when they came to Knoxville.
Maybe I was over exaggerating when I said Westbrook level.
Westbrook’s vertical was 36 as a rookie, without any college or NBA training Mikey’s is 32. I’d say with the proper training he could get that to 34.
 
I will admit I’m a little biased, given that I’m obviously a Mikey fan, but I do feel like in two- three years we will look back and say I was right. JMO.
 
Two years meaning two classes (2022 and 2023), not two calendar years. And I never attributed that time frame to you other than the idea that while you remain patient, you also seem willing to punt on 2022 and wait to see what they do in 2023 to judge their efforts and abilities as recruiters.

Considering that you are cautioning people that the 2022 class isn't complete as of April 2022 and for everyone to remain patient on this class, isn't it reasonable to expect you'll be doing the same a year from now for the 2023 class? And won't that be two years?

I’m willing to give them a pass on fall of 2022 in the regards to making some definitive statement that they’re busts as recruiters…in retrospect maybe they should’ve taken some of the lower ranked guys and you’d feel better? Of course if you do that you aren’t sitting here with 4 spots and room to add the pieces we are looking at, so which was the correct move?

I’m sure people won’t give much credit for however they fill these last 4 spots, they’ll poo-poo key, say instead of Collins we should’ve gotten Pack, if we land Phillips they’ll say it’s just 1 guy. 2023 likely has a lot of open spots it would appear as of today, they’re gonna have to sign some guys in the fall, if they whiff in the fall as I have already stated then I will worry.
 

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