A Recruiting Comparison

 

On 247, there are only 4 schools that signed more freshmen than ECU did last season of the 175 schools they ranked. They were Duke, Arkansas, FSU, and Syracuse, signing mostly as you would expect blue chip or highly ranked recruits. Duke and Arkansas also signed 4 and 5 transfers respectively as well and worked the portal too

Of the other two FSU is 201 in NET and Syracuse is 100. Both of their coaches are old school 70-somethings that will probably be shown the door after the season. These are not the cutting-edge future facing programs you want to mimic in 2023. ECU's freshman recruiting class was ranked dead last, last year on 247 out of the 175 they ranked, and that looks accurate.

1800 transfers and nearly 40% of basketball on the move last year and basketball is and will continue to be populated with older covid super-upperclassmen for the next 2 more seasons after this one. The other 10 AAC teams signed 13 freshmen per 247 combined, compared to 5 for ECU.

  

The only real examples of recruiting freshmen like ECU has since the free transfer rules changed 2 years ago are the Syracuse and FSU dinosaurs. ECU and Michigan signed more than anyone 2 years ago

Jerome Tang, Mid Majors

There are multiple coaches that had major improvements behind transfers. This is the only P6 example I will list. Every player that has played a minute this season on Kansas State is a transfer (1 JUCO), most of whom Jerome Tang brought in last year. Outside of 2 players it's essentially a new roster that he has taken a program that was 14-17(6-12) to 18-3 and 5th in the AP Poll. He doesn't have to preach patience or worry about these players transferring now. If they could, he's proven he knows where to go get some older proven transfers to replace them.

 

Southern Miss. There are many examples of mid majors that added significant transfers and improved. Southern Miss and went from 342nd NET last year to 66th this year being one of the biggest jumps ever with their two leading scorers being transfers. Obviously proven good ones I talked about in the preseason in fact.  Overall they have 14 former transfers and two high school recruits on their roster.

8 D1, 2 D2, 4 JUCO's

What has Southern Miss got that ECU doesn't? We will hear the excuses of why ECU can't be good, but there is a clear example of how you don't have to wait around half a decade to maybe not suck. Their coach knew his team sucked and went out to remedy that. 

 

College of Charleston was another team i have talked about and their transfers. They were ranked 18th in the AP Poll last week and they have done it off the backs of D2 transfers. I've been told D2 transfers can't be successful by the clown show for years, but have given many examples that blow that up. Four of their starters are from D2 and the 5th was a transfer from Wofford this year. I'd take a 18ppg D2 player all day every day.

 

Youngstown State is a program I have talked about multiple times with the 5 transfers they brought in 4 of whom are starters. Their 5th starter is a transfer from the year before. They have improved from #246th NET to 113th. For the people that like to talk about the history and use that crutch at ECU, they have had one 20-win season ever and have never been to an NCAA in their 40+ year history. They are 1st in their conference at 17-6.