insider.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/evaluation/_/id/215689/hameir-wrightAnd this is why we have problems. We are not even listed on this kids recruiting board.
Don't care if we get him (actually do) but there are plenty of mid majors, including Vermont, listed among the big boys on this board as offering.
Why aren't we? Just another important way for getting our name out there that we are interested in high level recruits.
We need to start competing harder for the local high level recruits.
We need to show them that going to a Maryland or Syracuse, Notre Dame, etc... might indeed have its benefits, but staying local to becoming that kid who by staying home to play could change his life and his families life in a very positive and different way that extends well beyond college.
You have to at least have your hat in the game, early in the game, consistently in the game, for these local kids with Power Conference talent.
It only takes one so use the selling points you have, which are many, and don't ever give up until they are official.
If you convinced just one high level local recruit to stay home by using family and local ties to make a great life for himself that will extend well beyond his college basketball days, you just may find that the next high level local recruit may do the same thing.
And now you have the start of a budding powerhouse mid major program.
Imagine if you could convince the Huerter kid with his ties to Siena to come back from Maryland to play with his brother and play locally.
Then you get the Burns kid to transfer back home from ND.
Then Wright gets wind of this and starts thinking about how important family is and realizing that now with three local kids with power school talent playing together on the same team locally for three years and all the positIves that they would bring to the success of the program and themselves.
Next thing you know you have the Girard kid following suit.
They all begin to realize that they could be setting themselves up for a very good opportunity of a very successful and happy life in this area in their post basketball years.
And just might be very successful on the court playing together as well.
Now you have a very strong nucleus of getting local Power Conference talent to stay home.
And then it continues on and on and on.
The only way you will ever get Power Conference talent to come to Siena is by getting local kid's who are being recruited by Power Conference schools to see the value in staying home.
Once you get one, another local kid sees the same value and next thing you know Siena is on the map again.
It can be done. It's a long shot but not out of the realm or by any means. Its not impossible. It only takes one power school talent kid to create a domino effect.
We sure as hell won't get a kid from Baltimore that is being recruited by Power Conference schools to come to Siena.
So why not focus really hard on local power school talent.
There are many selling points for a local kid.
Number one is making it easy for your family to see you actually play for four full years where you in all probability, will be actually playing in games as four year starters.
Number two is educationally in being in a small classroom environment. The chances of being successfull in the classroom increase with smaller classes.
Number three is that you are pretty much guaranteed four years of starting time.
Number four is that your real national exposure comes in the NCAA's and not playing or sitting in your 20 Power Conference league games a year.
Imagine the confidence level these guys could attain by playing together at the MAAC Level so they could handle the spotlight of playing in the NCAA's when and if they get there together as a group?
Number five is that you can reach the NBA via the MAAC just as you can from a Power Conference school. If you have the talent
to make the NBA, you have the talent.
Most kids from Power Conference schools including the ones still in the tournament will never play in a single game in the NBA.
Just look at how good Jimmer was.
National College Player of the Year. First round draft choice. And yet he really never made it in the NBA. Because his talent level was just not good enough.
And though he played in a higher conference than the MAAC, he did it without playing in a Power Conference, and it all had to do with his exposure in the Big Dance. And he was only one step away from playing at Siena.
It can be done.
Recruit the local Power Conference Talent hard Jimmy. If nothing else, it will help you at the door.
Go Saints!