Joshua Jefferson
- Thread starter Rebelious1
- Start date
Wow!
Did not know this at all.
Assessment, recruiting and team chemistry will all be important this time around because there should be know tomorrow for Kevin beyond next year if we don’t make the dance!
Sure USU built from scratch this year, but he did bring 2 key players with him so there is some familiarity and carryover there at least with the coach.
But outside of USU, the other top teams in this conference all had a lot of carryover from previous year(s).
Your point is valid that Many teams in college basketball are dealing with a lot of turnover. Part of the reason the overall product is declining and that there is inconsistency all over the place this year in college basketball.
Kevin has relied heavily on short term players, moreso than the rest of the conference, and his few carryovers have had injury problems (Cottrell, Nowell) or hit random senior slumps( Webster), or you are JJ3. I would argue that year 3 would have potentially been better if we had more carryover players, especially starters. People have criticized the idea of building a team and clamored for a "win now" approach. That is what Kevin has done in terms of roster construction given the starting 5 is almost all new players each season.
The only reason people criticized the "build team" approach is because it's too late and not what Kevin was hired to do. Yes, we've hashed that out and you disagree but his hiring was all about maintaining the team/program building TJO had started. He didn't have the chops to keep TJOs class together but managed to keep Bryce in Vegas and tried to build rapidly a team of transfers around him that didn't pan out. He brought in a bunch of undersized players and guys who couldn't shoot and Bryce dragged that team and we almost made it till injuries hit at the wrong time.. so year 2 rolls around and he again brings in a bunch of undersized guards and some injured projects as transfers instead of young recruits and played the 5th year guys over his younger players, causing rifts he couldn't repair. They're all gone... 3rd year- "oh hey, we need size.." so he gets a bunch of long players, Srs and a super star freshman. So who was he supposed to "build" with? He didn't want to take that approach and it's to late now when you're on the hot seat and have to win...
The roster had he kept guys around and done the "build" could've been something like this...
Guards- DTJ, Gilbert, Hall, Yap
F-Martinez, Brown, Whaley.
At its core all had very freshman like seasons except Gilbert and DTJ and collectively havent had much success elsewhere, but 3 or 4 years together building that could've been a solid core to add experience around... especially if Gilbert/Hall/DTJ were together...
Yes if we have a good year next year and then Dedan returns then we should be in a real good spot.
Lol no lie. Utah St is a special place they just have advantages we do not.
Yep exactly, in this era of the portal even big schools have to deal with roster turnover. How many schools get a roster of players who stay together 3-4 years?
I wonder who the blame mostly falls on there? Personality conflicts are a tough thing to predict. At least it shouldn't be a problem next year at least not with them specifically.
Tough to assess player personalities and proclivities in the portal era and then determine whether those players will get along with your returning players. A few years of recruitment like in the old days, sure much more likely to get a sense of a player. Today you have some convos with coaches and perhaps former players and hope that the transfer isn’t going to be a cancer. Another reason today’s CBB is such a poor product than the 80s & 90s. I sound like the old guy screaming “back in my day!” but in this case it holds true. The game is a shell of itself. UNLV, UNC, Duke, Louisville, etc., from that era would crush the top teams today. Not bc of better talent but simply much better team play.
USU 2 came with Sprinkle from hot bed Montana St.
That said KK can't recruit to what he wants offensively, Thomas and Johnson and Webster all small guards, that's on KK.
Outside DT, everyone should be 6'5 and bigger outside of Backup PG.
KK uses the weeve, passing around the 3 and Thomas taking it to hole, so recruit kids who can attack and get shooters from 3, use screens from baseline have couple catch and shoot kids. You have that Whaley can work down low, if Jefferson comes in same thing.
It's not hard if you have system recruit to it, that's KK problem, he's below game coach, Thomas bailed him out, get kids to help Thomas!
No more excuses for him, we all know Logan is hot spot for kids who all grew up wanting to play for USU!
That said KK can't recruit to what he wants offensively, Thomas and Johnson and Webster all small guards, that's on KK.
Outside DT, everyone should be 6'5 and bigger outside of Backup PG.
KK uses the weeve, passing around the 3 and Thomas taking it to hole, so recruit kids who can attack and get shooters from 3, use screens from baseline have couple catch and shoot kids. You have that Whaley can work down low, if Jefferson comes in same thing.
It's not hard if you have system recruit to it, that's KK problem, he's below game coach, Thomas bailed him out, get kids to help Thomas!
No more excuses for him, we all know Logan is hot spot for kids who all grew up wanting to play for USU!
I agree it is very difficult to tell if personalities will mesh with each other. It is more about their play unless someone is a complete AH I can't blame KK for them not getting along. Unless this happens every year then maybe you have to wonder about the pattern.
Because hes good enough to transfer up.
I definitely see your point here, but would it still be poor planning even if the player being brought in was one of DJ's best friends?
Lobby, my take is slightly different. Jefferson’s relationship with DJ is why he is considering transferring from what is a much better program over the last 15 years. Notwithstanding, I don’t see how it is poor planning as you pointed out if KK is bringing in a sophomore starter from a ranked ncaa tournament team that finished 26-8 and beat out Gonzaga by finishing 1st in the WCC regular season by going 15-1 in conference. KK’s job is to win. If JJ can help UNLV turn the corner and make the ncaa tournament I am all for him coming home.
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Whaley avg 7-4, it's not like he's star, I do believe better roster construction, and being in MWC he could go to 16-8 next yr.
Guys, he was not the same after the ankle injury at the end of the season. But , Yes, need to LEARN rebounding more
There’s so much that goes into it. It’s more than just straight talent.
Could it disrupt chemistry to the point where you lose a guy, either by him leaving or just being a shell of himself? Everyone can recognize talent/ability. Can you figure out the right mix? I think that’s the hardest part of college basketball.
DJ is the only player on the team that is a must keep, so if bringing a good player in, who is his friend, helps to keep him, then it is the right way to go!
I don’t care whether they bring him in or not. They live and die with the construct, so … we just watch it and cross our fingers.
I feel like we (UNLV) have a nice house and the whole foundation is cracked and we are just laying carpet over it and telling people not to walk over there.
Actually it's a bit like an old Craftsman... really beautiful in its glory days, gets a few owners that hate the wood and paint over it, neighborhood turns to s*** for a while dropping its value, only to be picked up by a few first time flippers that didn't know what they were doing.. so the walls are halfway stripped to their former beauty, but no one knows how to recreate the original craftsmanship so they just keep passing it from one owner to another..
That said, if we can add a few pieces there's a lot to be optimistic about with DTJ at the helm and the group of players coming in and ones we can hopefully attact..
That said, if we can add a few pieces there's a lot to be optimistic about with DTJ at the helm and the group of players coming in and ones we can hopefully attact..
One of the “coog insiders” suggested that Jefferson is probably going to UNLV to play with Dedan. This dovetailed with what Lobby mentioned and that is building a team that Dedan wants to run with.
Per joprior:
“10 days ago was the last time I reached out to someone about Dedan. He wasn’t leaving UNLV. They were adamant. Then on Thursday, I received a screenshot. I then reached out to another person close to Dedan’s camp. Text I got back. “Tina finally won out”. I got excited and text a couple of the guys on the board, one of them being Nate. And told him, “it’s confirmed, Dedan is coming”. I should have rephrased and said, “once he enters, he will be a Coog”. That was my mistake. Don’t put it on Nate. Also. To clear the air on Dedan. He is a great kid. This wasn’t about more NIL for him. It was about his teammates and future teammates. One in particular from SMC. If he commits to UNLV soon, Dedan got what he wanted. Not more money for him.”
Per joprior:
“10 days ago was the last time I reached out to someone about Dedan. He wasn’t leaving UNLV. They were adamant. Then on Thursday, I received a screenshot. I then reached out to another person close to Dedan’s camp. Text I got back. “Tina finally won out”. I got excited and text a couple of the guys on the board, one of them being Nate. And told him, “it’s confirmed, Dedan is coming”. I should have rephrased and said, “once he enters, he will be a Coog”. That was my mistake. Don’t put it on Nate. Also. To clear the air on Dedan. He is a great kid. This wasn’t about more NIL for him. It was about his teammates and future teammates. One in particular from SMC. If he commits to UNLV soon, Dedan got what he wanted. Not more money for him.”
If true, I'm wondering why Kruger didn't feel the same need to strongly recruit Jefferson. I get we have depth at the 4 essentially between Cottrell(needs to go in my opinion), Hill, and Whaley... but you should absolutely be A) listening to your talent on your roster and what they want and B- bring in better talent each off season
I’m telling you all the fact that this happened, shows that after the last three years Kevin still was not getting what needs to take place here. You have once in a lifetime talent at PG and you are slow to check in with him?
Kevin is NOT the guy he just doesn’t get it!
Kevin is NOT the guy he just doesn’t get it!
That’s interesting I wonder why he didn’t want Jefferson in and of itself? He seems like a bit of an upgrade over Whaley plus he played on a team with some success which is always valuable. Plus Whaley can still back up the 3/4 and get plenty of time maybe even start the 3 if the 2 is a great shooter.
Power Play. I was told from a close source that UNLV did not want to pay Jefferson. CKK better hope Jefferson is going to be a HUGE upgrade along with whoever they bring in.
I guess... but if you don't, you lose DTJ and that's his end anyways. It tells me that Kruger thought we are set at the 4 spot which Idk... depending on a guy coming off an ACL isn't my idea of set
Why are some saying KK didn’t recruit JJ or had no interest. KK did recruit JJ out of high school and simply missed out to a more stable program with a veteran coach. In fact, UNLV is predicted as the landing spot for JJ. As noted:
“UNLV recruited Jefferson out of high school, they reached out again when he entered the portal, and they represent a homecoming for the Vegas native and Liberty High School graduate.”
Source: USA Today Sports Wire:
https://collegesportswire.usatoday....al-joshua-jefferson-unlv-creighton-virginia/#
“UNLV recruited Jefferson out of high school, they reached out again when he entered the portal, and they represent a homecoming for the Vegas native and Liberty High School graduate.”
Source: USA Today Sports Wire:
https://collegesportswire.usatoday....al-joshua-jefferson-unlv-creighton-virginia/#
That makes sense but if UNLV can’t pay directly and boosters do instead does UNLV still determine who gets $$? Not sure why they would want to upset him.
The fact that DJ never entered the portal tells me, he and Kevin were working together. I believe the threat to leave was genuine, had someone not come up with the money for his teammate(s). I don't fault either of them, as long as this plays out with DJ and JJ on the UNLV roster. Those two together should be able to sway a number of recruits this team needs to win the MWC next season. I expect JJ to UNLV news to happen soon and used to fill in the holes we need. Alford and Pitino are going to wish they took another G5 job. IMO.
Another guy with a knee injury.
Huge pass for me.
Seen enough transfers from those..
I’m not worried about the knee. He’s got the tools to make unlv more dynamic on the floor. He can shoot and run with Dedan. Possible NBA type talent. Reminds me of Moser under Lon.
Those metrics like rebounding, shooting, tempo will not be ranked in the 200s with this guy. I could see him moved to the 3, Whaley at the 4.
The only potential NBA guy playing at UNLV is the PG, nobody else is even close!
Dude..DEDAN I love the kid but he is a midget at this level. Not even close to NBA level..lol
The average height of an NBA point guard is 6'2" Dedan is 6'1" - Not sure where being 1 inch shorter than the average makes you a midget?
