The remaining men's bball scholarships, assistants, method...

[Guest BasketBull.]

With the addition of the walk-ons on the official USF site's roster, I'm thinking we are done with signings for this year. It seems like Carter is not likely to come aboard.

That leaves 3 scholarships for the next class.

Here are some questions:

1) Are you (as a fan) okay with this plan? Gonna be rough next year...

2) What do you think our needs will be with the 3 scholarships?

3) Turning to assistants and staff, are you happy with the new faces?

4) Lastly, how do you like Coach Heath's slow approach (methodical) to doing things -bringing in staff and recruiting?

[Bullpride08]

With the addition of the walk-ons on the official USF site's roster, I'm thinking we are done with signings for this year. It seems like Carter is not likely to come aboard.

That leaves 3 scholarships for the next class.

Here are some questions:

1) Are you (as a fan) okay with this plan? Gonna be rough next year...

2) What do you think our needs will be with the 3 scholarships?

3) Turning to assistants and staff, are you happy with the new faces?

4) Lastly, how do you like Coach Heath's slow approach (methodical) to doing things -bringing in staff and recruiting?

1.  What makes you think this was a 'plan' as far as I could tell Coach Heath tried like mad to get a coaching staff from day one, and sign recruits...it wasn't an easy sell like some of us have been saying before.  As for a rough year, I dunno it depends on how Coach Heath runs the offense, if it's up tempo but not so much so it runs Gransberry out of the gym we should be fine.  Remember in hoops being big isn't always about center, Dante Curry, and Holmes will have profound impacts and I still think, as I thought with Mac, this season has the chance to be .500 or better.

2.  The needs clearly need to be inside...Gransberry is gone, Aris Williams is just a solid complimentary player, and the JC guy is a big body filler.  Inside, inside, inside...and sprinkle in another top fligt wing.

3.  The new faces and happy with the assistants?  Well as the ole saying goes 'beggers can't be choosers' my desire was for Heath to bring his entire ARK staff intact.  That was a good recruiting crew, he lost the two best recruiters and the other guys all seem competent and good. 

4.  Slow methodical approach?  Again what was slow and methodical about it, the day after signing he was on the recruiting trail for coaches and players.  We've been turn down by at least a dozen of each until he finalized on what we have.  Magnus Rolle chose Ltech over us.  Would you have called it a 'slow methodical approach' had Heath achieved bringing over his entire staff over the first two weeks?  It's just a hard sell.

To summarize, USF isn't an easy sell for assistants and players to begin with let alone when your Heath with only a few weeks on the fly to do it.  He gets a full mulligan on the player recruiting side coming in late and trying to hit the ground running.  Frankly I am happy he didn't do like some coaches of past and just add fillers to bouy the roster.  He had that opportunity.  It meant leaving schollies open but I believe Heath is a good recruiter, I didn't feel that way about Coach Mac, and with Greenberg it seemed more like smoke and mirrors.  Given that fact I would rather have Heath hold back a schollie until he got a full staff and at least a half-year to recruit kids.  That will reap benefits.

[USFDan]

The fact that Coach Heath got here so late in the recruiting game, I am happy with what he has done.  Most of the good players sign in November, not in the late signing period.  So he had no time with a very thin pool of players to chose from.  I'm glad he didn't just give scholarships away to get bodies.

I always thought we should sacrifice next year and hold onto a couple of scholarships.  We need to let Stan work his recruiting magic and get some Big East players in here, preferably some big bodies.  USF fans are going to have to be patient.  It's going to take 3 or 4 years to get us competing for a spot in the NCAA's.  Any sooner and Heath will be a God and probably signed away to a bigger program.

As far as the assistants go, they all have big program experience.  Each has coached in the SEC.  Time will tell if they are good fits for us.

[Accountabull]

1. I think that the state the program was in at the end of last year was so bad we can only go up from there. I think that next year there will be growing pains but I would expect definite marked improvement in record and in quality of play. Lets not forget the Bulls team of last year couldn't even get into their offensive sets with enough time to get a quality shot off. I don't think that will be an issue this year.

2. I had the opportunity to have lunch with Coach Heath last week and asked him this question. He stated that he was looking for a point guard, and size in the post. I feel that next year we are going to have to look for not only size, but athleticism. We need to look for those 6'6" - 6' 10" guys that can get up and down the floor and make plays and of course we still need to find a guy that consistently hit that 20' jumper.

3. From what I read on the new guys I feel optimistic, but time will tell.

4. I think Coach Heath's approach was the correct approach. I think many times coaches rush around in the first couple weeks after being hired trying to prove themselves to their new employer and fan base by filling out their assistant positions and getting recruits through door. Many times you don't get the quality of person you need to build a program when you take the first thing that is available.

Anyway I can't wait for basketball season, it should be at least a little more fun the past couple.

[Guest BasketBull.]

I'm very pleased, and I think we will all be very happy in a few years. Every new coaching staff has to rebuild, but how to go about it is very important. This staff is young and has a lot of experience. One man cannot build a winner at USF -at least two have tried that method. It will take a staff, and I think that's what we now have. As far as the scholarships, I think this is a wise move. We've got to get Big East players.