Blue Ribbon is out and I have interrupted my weekend biking activities to share with you what I can. Those familiar with this publication know that the REALLY HUGE breakdowns go only to the Pre-Season Top 25 teams. That said even the writing for those out f the Top 25 is more substantial than you can get anywhere else.
I will not give the full writeup. That would go against the rules and it would take too long. What follows are some of the most vital and interesting snippets:
Cooley found frustration during his transfer recruiting efforts.
“It was very, very difficult because we were also navigating the negative feedback we’re getting. ‘OK, how good are you going to be?’” he says. “If you want to see some of your big-name portal kids that everybody thinks are going to be really special, they had interest, but I don’t think they were coming based on what they felt how good we can be. So that’s what we’re dealing with.”
The new roster is a mixed bag. The Hoyas have no proven post presence. They don’t have what Cooley calls “a settle-me-down bucket guy”, not yet. Only two players on his roster weigh as much as 220 pounds. They have a veteran leader in Massoud, but Cooley lament, “We do have some church mouses in [the locker room] that don’t say crap…We’re going to have to teach guys to be vocal.”
“We’ve had some really good retreats together and bonding, but there’s no adversity. You’re not down 12 with 14 minutes to play at Connecticut. Can you win that game? You’re not up six at Creighton with three minutes left to play on the line for a 1-and-1. Can you make that a three-possession game? All those things come into play as you’re starting to build a team.”
The writeup is so up to date that it claims the Hoyas as only having THREE holdovers from Ewing’s team of last season. Of these guys Cooley says that he wants Heath and Bristol to be “tougher and more physical.”
Furthermore for all three he adds “they have to be accountable for production. I’m not just putting you out there just because you’re a good-looking guy. We’ve got to get more out of them. Ryan is a big presence. We’ve got to get him to believe in himself more, but he’s also got to put in the work. His body probably has changed the most since we got here. I think he’s reinvigorated and feels good about what we’re doing.”
Cooley is happy that Epps has been battle-tested as a freshman at Illinois. He also goes on to say “He’s made big shots, he’s made big free throws. We’ll be dependent on him to be a leader and finisher. Can he become a closer? You always need a closer at this level, whether it’s a bucket-getter or a free-throw shooter or a defensive stopper. Can he become Mariano Rivera?”
On Supreme Cook : “I call Supreme “The Terminator’. He doesn’t say much but he gets but he gets a lot done. We’ll play him at the five and four; he’s extremely athletic and versatile. I think he can go off the bounce a little against bigger guys…..He’ll definitely have the opportunity to play and get a lot of minutes.”
On Massoud: “He’s a stretch guy. I’ll play him at three positions – the 3, the 4 and the 5. But he’s going to have to rebound better, and he’s going to have to find a way to guard multiple positions. But I like what he’s doing. He’s clearly one of the leaders in the locker room right now.”
On Styles: “One of the better athletes I’ve coached, just athletically.” More: “ I think he can be a stud. We’re going to have to instill confidence in him….I think his best basketball is clearly in front of him. I’m glad we have him for multiple years.”
On Brumbaugh: Owns a “dynamic twitch”. "Will play on and off the ball, and can shoot, drive or pass". More : “I don’t know what he’s going to do when the bright lights come on, but I like what I see so far.”
On Fielding: “Coloey likes Fielder’s upside and that he has ‘really, really high aspirations for him in helping us re-establish this organization.’” More: “Because the Hoyas are lacking in size, Cooley says (maybe jokingly, maybe not) he’s going to ‘throw him out there and let him get his butt kicked in the Big East.’”
[MY NOTE] Interestingly enough this writeup gives Fielder a listing of 6’10 height and 220 pounds weight. Considering I pointed out how this same writeup claims that the Hoyas only have two guys in that 220 pound range, that would mean there is only one other than Fielder. Can that be right? I would have figured that both Cook and Mutombo were at that weight and frankly I would have assumed Fielder fell just short. I will await the official releases.
Also the writeup did mention Drew McKenna as a 6’8, 3-star forward who has committed to the Hoyas but “had yet to enroll by late August.” That is as close to an official update of McKenna since his commitment. And btw…3-star? Don’t do McKenna dirty like that. I should add I am of the belief McKenna’s upside is as high as any of the other players Cooley has brought in (and I love them all).
So that’s pretty much all I am going to share. My first main takeaway is that Gtown losing out on a number of those more high-profile transfer targets makes more sense after reading this. Certainly others will have their own different takes which may include that Cooley should have been a better salesman, but if most of these kinds wee only hoping to stay around one more season or even two, why not go elsewhere for better on-court success, even if the NIL money was at least the same.? The other thing that stood out to me were the remarks about Rowan. It would suggest that all that is lfet for Cooley to see is what he actually does in an actual college game.
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