Local media, boosters, and die-hard fans always want to know who the next best player is that a coaching staff has signed. As one coach told me before: Winning has as much to do with the Jimmys and Joes as the Xs and Os. This to me meant having good players that fit the system is what wins games. Of course recruiting talent is important to success, but playing in the right system does play a part. We only have to go back to this year’s NCAA Final Four field to see just how true this statement is.
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| Coach Tom Izzo and players celebrating Final Four berth (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) |
MICHIGAN STATE
Bringing in the nation’s 50th ranked 2014 recruiting class of Lourawls Nairn, Javon Bess, and Marvin Clark did not boost anyone’s morale, not even coach Tom Izzo.1 But, this group of players did look to be one that fit Coach Izzo’s foundational mold that he built success on at MSU. Each one possessed leadership, toughness, versatility, a grasp of reality (that they would have to work hard to make up for their lack of talent), and decent athleticism.2 With only ONE 5-star recruit (Branden Dawson) on the roster, MSU would go on to win 8 of their next 9 games, advancing to the coveted Final Four for the 7th time under Izzo.
WISCONSIN
Scout.com recruiting analyst Brian Snow on Wisconsin Head Coach Bo Ryan’s recruiting style: “Bo Ryan’s going to run his system. He’s not going to change for some high school kid that’s not happy. I think Bo Ryan’s going to keep winning at an elite level despite not having necessarily elite recruits.”3 Snow was right on the money. Wisconsin has won 7 Big Ten Championships, been to 2 Final Fours, and played in the 2015 National Championship game in Ryan’s 14-year tenure. Ryan guided Wisconsin to the championship game with only ONE 5-star recruit (Sam Dekker) on his entire roster, combined with a 2014 recruiting class ranked #106.1 Pulling off this feat should equal a nice bonus for Ryan and his development coaches.
These are just two examples, of many, that the combination of a good system, quality players that buy in, and the development of both can make up for not having the highest rated recruits in order to be successful. When a team combines the #1 recruiting class of 2014 with a strong system the reward can be special, just ask the 2015 National Champion Duke Blue Devils (FOUR 5-star recruits).
References
1Meyer, J. (n.d.). 2014 Basketball Recruiting Team Rankings. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
2Couch, G. (2014, May 26). Michigan State's incoming basketball recruiting class fits Tom Izzo's mold. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
3Polzin, J. (2014, November 11). UW MEN'S BASKETBALL: Recruiting expert sings praises of UW's incoming class | College | wiscnews.com. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
So true. Different sport but I remember when Jimmy Johnson coached at FSU. We knew a family that had been promised the moon by the coach, the kid signed, and Coach Johnson moved on to the Dallas Cowboys. Players, coaching, coaching staff are all part of that system that can make or break a season.
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