"Virginia Tech. Coach Young has been on me really, really hard. Him and Coach Webster ever since Coach Young got the job. He's visited me a couple times actually in Richmond, they cameup to Trinity. So, this is a guy who is really genuine and so is hiscoaching staff, which I really like."
"Lastly, Coach Krzyzewski and Duke. Coach James has been my main recruiter. I talked to Coach Krzyzewski a good amount of times. He just talked to me on how I can be a winner on and off the court. He tells me how I can really impact their program and help to put them over the top because I am a winner and he sees what I can bring to the table."
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Comments
Henry,
via GIPHY
pls
Have we landed a recruit since we started doing this? I vote this needs to be retired.
Nope. As a new ritual, I propose that on the night before a big commitment that someone goes into Merryman, finds a bathroom mirror, and says the name of the desired recruit three times.
jhnbrynt no
Suboptimal.
Optimal.
I'm a HUGE JJ fan (he went to my HS), but I don't think this looks good for us.
JJ and your team beat us in the 2003 state semi-finals. I may or may not still be bitter about it.
Had to be 2002, JJ graduated in 2002 from Cave Spring. It was fun watching him shoot three's from the half court line in the State Championship game.
I played against JJ in AAU when we were 12. The kid, even at that age, was throwing up 3's from mid court. My team had never seen anything like it. They also destroyed us like 84-21.
I am not proud to say that I have a JJ Redick autographed Duke hat sitting somewhere at home... It was really cool before I started attending Virginia Tech, but obviously less so now.
Hey there! I'm a Cave Spring Knight as well. What graduating class?
I remember being a senior and hearing about this hot-shot freshman named JJ. I thought, "he can't possibly be that good". Well, needless to say I was wrong. I remember he was always polite to my little sister, so I both appreciated and respected him despite the age-gap. In my experiences, he never came off as prideful, but rather humble and kept his nose to the ground and went to work.
I traveled to Lynchburg to watch the state championship game as a junior at VT. It was incredible seeing my old HS do so well, I remember JJ chucking up 3's and the Hagan kid (long red hair) being a strong second threat on breakaways. Hagar went on to play baseball for UVA, all the while being their punter as a true freshman for football. Lots of athletic talent in that class.
I also remember a fight breaking out amongst the fans from the other school, taunting and causing trouble as their team starting losing their cool late.
I graduated in 2003, I think jmecca was 2005 (same year as my sister). I take it you must have been 1998?
Quick reply! Class of 99.
Let's see if any of these names ring a bell...I played football in Steve Spangler's last season as head coach. Michael Brammer (who played at Navy), Michael Hamlar (who played at Wake), Chris Gould (Hampden-Sydney) to name a few underclassmen that I remember.
I also played with Corey Paxton (William/Mary), Jason Williams (JMU), Darnell Glover (WVU) in the upper classman ranks.
Great memories there. It's funny though, I consider myself so much more a Hokie than anything else. I've had invites to go to old HS reunions, but my interest is less than 1%. Love Roanoke, love my upbringing and childhood, love the sports moments, but between the two, VT holds a special place that is unmatched. All that to say though, I couldn't have one without the other.
Worked alongside Hank Coleman about fifteen years ago-super nice guy!
Nate James is an elite recruiter ( read: has deep Nike money connections shielded from Coach K, so it looks like the iconic coach doesn't pay players, but they keep insane talent in the Nike family)
Are you saying you know that Duke is paying players via Nike? And that Nate James is the bag man?
You have sources on this?
No, I am saying that Nike funnels players that are top draft picks to Nike schools via AAU coaches, boosters, etc. Duke is one of their top schools because they place a lot of their guys at the top of the draft, which means those guys sell a lot of shoes. You can connect other dots... like why top players choose Duke, Kentucky, Syracuse and Michigan State over other Nike branded schools.
Given that huge Adidas scandal from not too long ago, what you're saying is not too far fetched. Although I feel like I would want a little more tangible evidence before jumping to the conclusion that top athletes only play at places like Duke and Kentucky entirely because of Nike. It seems like the top players would want to play for the top schools on their own accord?
I don't have sources but I'm saying this
Fun fact, I saw Nate James at the Ikea in Charlotte this summer.
That is fun!
Is this about to turn into a Nate James Hatin' On thread?
Is there any reason for us to get our hopes up about this?
The top Nike school for hoops that has made the brand millions by placing stars at the top of the draft and whose coach is paid 8 figures by said apparel company vs. The second smallest Nike contract of any P5 school. So sure, there is a shot.
Maybe. This post will be enjoyable if your pessimism is incorrect. I don't really have an opinion as I don't have as much knowledge on this specific situation, but I would just suggest the argumentative you already know the answer tone isn't a good look.
open your mind, connect all the dots
The cliff notes version... the shoe game drives the top level recruiting of today's college basketball. that is a fact. Not pessimism, not dissing the hokies or coach young, not conspiracy - fact. Now, you can argue Coleman is not at the Zion Williamson/RJ Barrett echelon, and that the shoe companies aren't funneling him- fine. I don't have any insider information on that and I don't know what shoe brand Coleman used in AAU... but if his final two are Duke and VT, you can bet he has had a relationship with Nike and not UA or Adidas. The top of college hoops recruiting is the shoe game- that's just reality.
Coleman doesn't really project to be an elite pro player. As a 6'6" combo forward, he's a classic tweener especially with NBA teams slanting to bigger small forwards. The elite small forwards (LeBron, Giannis, PG, Kawai, KD etc.) are a few inches taller than Coleman. This doesn't mean Coleman can't be an all-star down the road (I see a lot of Jimmy Butler in him) but it does mean Coleman doesn't fit the mold of an all-star. From Nike's perspective, why would they drop the bag on a guy who doesn't fit the mold vs. a can't miss prospect like Zion? It doesn't make sense from an expected value standpoint.
Even for a company with as deep as pockets as Nike, I don't think it makes sense for them to make a "strong ass offer" for Coleman to specifically to go to Duke. From Duke's perspective, Coleman projects to be more Javin DeLaurier than Zion. For Duke, guys like Coleman are a dime a dozen. Why drop the bag on a recruit that doesn't move the needle? Duke is going to Duke with or without Coleman.
Coleman going to Duke isn't going to change Nike's bottom line.
This makes a ton of sense, and I agree- however Duke's walk on's will get more air time on ESPN than Landers Nolley will, and Coleman will be playing in likely an elite 8 primetime game at least with Duke. That is much more exposure for Nike on TV than VT perhaps getting a CBI bid and playing most games on the ACCN
Yeah but Duke is going to get the same amount of exposure/national games whether or not Coleman is playing for them. It's not like more people are going to start watching Duke basketball because Coleman is on the roster in the same way more people watched last year because of Zion. That's why Nike is far more willing to pay Zion to go a Nike school vs. a prospect like Coleman.
I think if we're taking about James Wiseman, your position has a lot more merit. Paying Wiseman to go to Duke A) Gets more casual fans to watch a Nike program and B) Gives Nike a head start on getting Wiseman on their roster when he turns pro in 2020. Neither of those points are true with Coleman.
I don't know about that. I feel like Nickeil Alexander-Walker proved last year that if your goal is getting drafted, it's better to be the guy at Virginia Tech than it is to be the fourth or fifth guy at Duke. Even if it takes two years to get to the league.
Think there is a lot of buzz about Tre Jones, even though he was one of the top point guard recruits a year ago?
I definitely agree with you. I think Cam Reddish would have been a top 5 pick if he didn't go to Duke (thus costing him millions of dollars on his rookie contract alone).
I sure hope Lander's nolley isn't shown live on ESPN....
lol - fixed...
Cast a wide net so the Steph Curries of the world don't slip through the cracks
Just read his post in Morgan Freeman's voice.
Not everything is about money. If the kid is good he'll be rich regardless. Not sure how much pocket padding a booster can do that couldn't be matched by being a multi-million dollar basketball superstar down the road.
It's not necessarily booster cash payments.. Nike knows how to play the long game too.
How do you know so much about Nike's payment plans?
I read the FBI indictment, I have been following this stuff a while, and I have a good friend that was a regional rep for Nike. I also have heard Sonny Vacarro and George Raveling talk about it many times.
But you are saying that Coleman will get impermissible benefits from Duke, and thats why he will choose them? Because they know how to funnel money and keep Coach K safe from scrutiny?
I think he is saying Duke sits back and doesn't play this payment game knowing that Nike offers future shoe deals/possibly money know if the said player decides to go to duke.
... and put's their AAU coaches- who send kids to their camps and buy their shoes- in direct connection with guys like Nate James starting in 8th grade... to keep the talent in the Nike stable. Nike does not connect these relationships with assistants under Seth Greenberg or James Johnson or Mike Young... and Buzz? His connection to Nike was always overrated/over-sold... he's way down their pecking order.
In the end this means almost no impermissible benefits directly given by Duke so when the NCAA knocks on their door they can say they did nothing wrong and put up a small fight which will cause the NCAA to give sanctions to NC State.
Enhance
Enhance
Adidas? Adidas.
I see a red state of Virginia. VT silent commit confirmed.
look like high top bedroom slippers to me
*Reads article
*Starts scrolling through the comment section
*
Don't know much about him, but I'm sure he will be donning blue and white.
lower your expectations dot gif
Regardless of his decision, MY and company still have a chance to close out an elite class with Hall and Foster still out there. I hope there is no meltdown if he does choose Duke.
Can we not make wild accusations about a recruit we are in the Top 2 for, and may end up a Hokie?
To be fair, I don't see anyone lobbing accusations at the player, just the other school in the running for said player. All I see are suggestions that it'd be hard to turn down the impermissible benefits that may or may not be offered. When/if he inevitably commits to Duke, then we'll see the accusations you speak of.
I expect him to be pulling out the Duke hat/shirt tomorrow, but the paragraph of his dad talking I feel slants Techs way. System, coaching duration at the school (not good for us), and looking ahead to future recruiting classes. I feel CMY can pitch a recruit on more touches in his system than being surrounded by 4 other 5* guys. Obviously the tenure for CMY at Tech isn't good, but dude has been around the block a few times within College basketball. Lastly, Duke is always looking for the next 5* guy to replace who they have. It doesn't sound like Coleman is a 1 and done. So what happens when Duke picks up the next "guy". I think ultimately he ends up at Duke, but one can hope, right?
The fact that we're in the top 2 is a testament to how well we're doing on the recruitment trail.
We were in the top 2 for Devyn Ford yet many are ready to burn Fuente at the stake, with recruiting being a major gripe. Just pointing out that it's interesting to see how differently fans react as a result of expectations.
I think the big difference for basketball is we already have 2 top 100 prospects and have a good chance of adding at least one more.
Consistently through Buzz's time here and now MY's so far, for the most part both coaches have been able to close on top prospects on the board. The same just can't be said for football. And in Fords case, the thought was for awhile that he was coming to VT, with Coleman it was assumed up until the last week or two that we were always on the outside looking in without a real chance.
Basketball recruiting has just been flat out better than football recruiting the past several years, and I think that's partly why our fanbase is able to forgive much easier for missing on prospects.
Top 100 in basketball is about the equivalent of top 500 - maybe top 750 - in football. Sort of. Getting two top 100 guys in basket ball is like getting 10 top 500-750 guys in football. Sort of. And an ACC basketball program doing it is like an SEC football program doing it. Sort of.
Young's done a pretty good job so far, but it's silly to compare football recruiting and basketball recruiting. They're two entirely different animals.
Yep, there is definitely a fundamental misunderstanding of the differences between the two. There are 85 scholarships allowed for FBS football programs and 13 scholarships allowed for D1 basketball programs. Class rankings also tend to fluctuate much more in basketball since class size will vary and have a significant effect.
True, but there are 350ish Division I basketball programs and only 130 football programs (65 Power 5 schools). Seems like there is more competition for the top 100 Basketball players.
Either way, CMY will field a team with 5 of the top 20 basketball recruits since 2000 (247). Nolley and Bede are carry-overs from Brent, but looks like Young is doing a good job and our Hokies will be competitive in short order.
I felt like CMY's major weakness was going to be recruiting and I was pleasantly proven wrong. I think it's more surprise than anything.
The fact that we're "on the same level" as Duke would be the equivalent of being "on the same level" for a high 4* prospect choosing between us and Alabama.
Just so I know when to get my hopes up so they can be so perfectly crushed once again, what time will Henry be announcing?
3:30 per his Twitter
Henry
There's a hole in my roster dear Liza, dear Liza, dear Liza.
There's a hole in my roster dear Liza a hole.
So fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry.
Is there going to be a livestream of the announcement?
Chris Arvin will stream live:
For those interested, I will be live streaming the @hencoleman3 announcement this afternoon from this account. Be on the lookout for that around 3:25
Thank you! Gonna watch at the tailgate
Really hope we start to see some CBs start to flip around 12, maybe 12:30.
Chris Arvin with the livestream:
henry nooo
Bummer
Cbs still all to duke but all are old
Because everyone knew he was going to Duke.
evidently he is a nike kid after all /s
Henry chooses Duke over the Hokies
Wish him the best!
is duke, best of luck to henry
Picked Duke womp womp.
*Gobbles Sadly*
Duke is still a basketball school
More motivation to put a beat down on the blue devils tonight
I suddenly feel the desire to beat Duke tonight even more than I already was. Based on that and the couple of interviews I have ready, he seems like a really great person. I wish he was a Hokie!
I'm pretty plugged into the RVA basketball scene, from everything I heard he's a really good kid. Really wanted him to come to Blacksburg but there's no shame in losing to Duke on a basketball recruit.
The sad thing is, Duke fans probably don't even know anything about him. They don't pay attention because they know they get the best, and just expect them to show up at their first game.
Nah they're going to be upset because their other three recruits are five stars.
247 WHY YOU GOTTA TROLL LIKE THAT
How are we sitting with PJ Hall and Xavier Foster? Anyone have some insight?
Crystal balls say 100% Hall to UF and 100% Foster to Iowa. But then again we flipped Bamisile from Northwestern. Who the fuck knows until they actually get to campus.
Actually 75% Florida, 25% Clemson for Hall but just starting his official visits where we will start to see the crystal balls shift.
From Chris Arvin its sounds like without Coleman we have a slim chance at getting Foster away from Iowa. Likes chances with Hall, thinks it's a Florida/VT battle, hopefully without the Kerry Blackshear ending...
Per Chris Arvin, we're coming in hot on JJ Traynor: