In year 4, when Dooley was trying to put a team around future All American Newton and save his job with 6 freshmen I thought it was a foolish direction. ECU would finish yet again 200+ in RPI and it did cause him to lose his job and ECU to lose an player like Newton.
The offseason I pointed to that summer as an example of what I thought was better for winning that season, and saving his job/keeping Newton was Robert Morris. They had recruited 9 strong transfers that offseason. Unfortunately many of the key ones were hurt and only played a few games. Since it's becoming a weak fall back crutch to deflect and retreat to any time other posters are losing an argument. Well there was that one time years ago you kind of got it wrong, only I didn't.
The Facts
All
of Robert Morris's best transfer got hurt. The Oklahoma State transfer
played 4 games, the St. John's starter from a top 60 team played 12 games, the rotation center from a
top 70 Toledo played 3 games. The 9ppg guy from the A10 missed 11 games, and another rotation
player from the A10 missed 9 etc etc. That team never had a chance and it still ignores the players themselves individually.
Comparison for Context
The entire premise of the original argument was that the freshmen would not help Dooley save his job, especially in the super senior era. They in fact did not. Small and Felton that season struggled as bad as anyone ECU has
ever had here with 4.4 and 7.2 PER's. Only one of those 6 freshmen was even a positive player in Johnson and even he was benched in AAC play and played 10 mintues a game in February. The other 3 didn't play and two are barely D1 players now.
The same players that season around Newton would have helped much more as older more experienced players that season. Even the bottom half of that transfer class was likely more ready as older more proven role players.
Here is an example of one that did play that season and wasn't even one of the top guys IMO. He's still still playing basketball and starting on a team that's been ranked top 25 year this season.
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/michael-greeniii-1.html
Here is one that had averaged 9ppg for a top 125 A10 team. He is still playing in 2024 and averaging 14ppg 5rpg.
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/justin-winston-1.html
Here is one that is 6-11 and had been a rotation player in the A10. He averaged 11ppg and 5rpg last year in D1.
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/brandon-stone-1.html
These
weren't even the good transfers I liked in that class either like Dunn and Flavors. It was
still a lot better vision than 6 freshman in a save your job year regardless. The entire context was trying to pick the sad sackest program I could to highlight as well. I nailed plenty of others that season I also higlight like Towson who went from 300+ to top 70 and the NCAA's they always leave out too. I've did that multiple times that year and since highlighting their transfers and saying watchout for that team.
If you don't think that was a better class and trying to save your job with Tay Mosher, Alexis Reyes, and Marlon Lestin was better and 6 freshman is better you are wrong. He was fired.
