DennisC91 wrote:

ED, I was talking about whether Jordan Robinson and Rene Castro may graduate-transfer out for next year. 

Considering how little they've done here, they would have to really go the low major route in order to find much interest. This is not like Gill, who was a 3 year starter here. They might be better off staying and hoping the new coach will give them a shot. If Mike and Mike leave, those two will be getting major playing time.
 

DennisC91 wrote:

Agreed, though I think playing time at a low-major, especially one that could win its conference tourney, would be preferable to sitting on the bench for another bad Duquesne team. Both were highly regarded recruits who frankly never got much of a shot under Ferry. I think they'd at least get a look from CAA, MAC, Horizon, C-USA type programs if they wanted to transfer. A smart coach who evaluates Robinson's advanced stats and game film might wonder why he didn't play more. Dambrot may be doing that right now. To your point, I suspect both kids are hopeful the regime change may salvage their Duquesne careers. 

Agree. With Castro, if he were to transfer again it would be his third school and most guys just don't transfer more than twice, the ones that do tend to flame out (quevyn winters, kale Abrahamson, marqwell jackson, travon white, Jordan Stevenson) I don't think Castro will go anywhere.

I don't think Robinson would really be able to transfer anywhere but down just because of how little opportunity he got here.

That being said I think both of them are the type of guys who could flourish with new leadership and coaching because I believe both guys have a lot of talent.

I don't necessarily feel that way about Eric James, he had about a ten or twelve game stretch where he was solid two seasons ago and that's basically the story of his career here.

Last edited by Duques102 (3/29/2017 9:26 am)

MikeR wrote:

Another thing to consider is that if all the defections take place, we don't want to be in the position of having to give out 4 year schollies just to have a full roster next year. If all the upperclassmen (Evans, Robinson, Castro) stay it helps Dambrot out with that. Even with them we're probably going to need a couple of grad transfers in, or maybe jucos. Let's hope mostly everyone stays.

Who is Evans?

I am really encouraged by what the three 2017 offers had to say in  the PSN article.  

http://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2017/03/28/duquesnedambrot-adds-first-player-makes-offers/

All three look like very nice prospects.  If we could land all three It would go a long way towards rebuilding.  I still hope that Lewis and Mike will stay.  It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds.  BTW looked at some you  tube video of Tavian Dunn-Martin.  Even though he is only listed at 5'*8" he was the top player in West Virginia and was a prolific scorer in HS with several 30+ point games.  Very quick.

David Collins (6-foot-3, 200 pounds, SG, First Love Christian Academy)“Coach Dambrot told me he was starting something great at Duquesne and there was some playing time that I could earn. It means a lot (early offer from Dambrot) to me and makes me feel like a priority. I haven’t seen the campus and I would like to see it,” said Collins.Aside from Duquesne, Collins also holds offers from Cincinnati, Siena, St. Bonaventure, Missouri State and Robert Morri

Jack Ballantyne (6-foot-9, PF, Warren, Michigan)“Well, Coach Charles Thomas called me right away. I had just left the gym and didn’t hear the news yet. He told me about the move and the deal and I was thrilled. U of Detroit and Duquesne are my final two schools, but the relationship I have with the coaching staff now at Duquesne is vital to me and my family. So Duquesne jumped into my top 2. Coach D was very busy, but Coach Thomas and Rick told me he wanted them to call me first and wanted to offer me immediately. I was pumped for the opportunity and I look forward to visiting Duquesne in the near future. It means a lot that they would offer me so early but it just shows how close we are as a unit. One family to another.”

 Torrey Patton (6-foot-4, 192 pounds, SG, Trotwood Madison HS, Ohio)“I received the offer and instantly got excited. It was a great feeling knowing my hard work paid off. I know this is only the beginning though and I still have work to do. Coach McFadden called me and told me I would be a great fit for the program & they would love to have me,” said Patton.“It means a lot to me that I was one of the first offers given out. It shows that I’m a player on their radar and that they have a lot of interest in me. I’m very interested in checking out Duquesne and I can’t wait to visit. From what I’ve seen it looks like a beautiful place and somewhere I would enjoy being.”

 

Last edited by CLK (3/29/2017 10:38 am)

Box & One wrote:

I see these guys have been rated as 2 stars.

So - I have kind of a rhetorical question set, but interested in other's perspectives:
- How does that compare to DU prior recruits and their performance & growth in the A-10?
- And do we think all things the same on a recruit rank - our current coach gets more out of that talent level?

And I'll add anything on the recruits we signed and their status especially in light of the fact that Coach D is offering?

FAM wrote:

Mulder,
Great Cope-a-nut question!!!  I have complained that Ferry "often only" got two star players and as we saw over the last five years, didn't develop them.  Just going on the new coaches record, I am going to "assume" that his coaching instruction is so far above what Ferry's was that we will see a difference.  However, now that he is at Duquesne in the A-10 I hope he changes some guys he goes after as it is a bigger and more competive league.  Plus, I don't think he will win as readily without some 3 star players.  If he was able to develop those 2-stars he should do wonders with 3-stars.

The other thing to consider is that probably 98% of 2017 3 star recruits and up are signed with schools already this late in the process. The 2018s are 2 stars but they were guys he had already offered at akron.

I'm sure going forward when we don't have to just pick from what's left we will see higher level recruits being pursued.