St Thomas More has 6'6" F, AJ Rodriguez (Iona Prep), backing up Tyler Betsey (University of Cincinnati) and London Jemison (Offers from GMU, UMASS, Providence, URI, Syracuse Nova). AJ Rodriguez was 1st team All CHSAA AA and Third Team All State. Averaged 18.7 points per game as a senior. He is always in the right place and has a nose for where play is going. Has a nice 3 point shot. Smart player who uses his body well getting position. I really like this kid. He currently has an offer from Columbia and has a ton of interest from the high academic schools. This kid can score. Needs to be a SG/SF and not an SF/PF. has good skills though. Good rebounder for his position.
I don’t know much about recruiting, but is it possible we signed a kid here that would be in the big east if he waited until the spring?
That’s the positive, the negative is how do we keep a kid like that if that is the case. I know Tobin thinks we can, that is why he is recruiting all these freshmen. But is he being realistic? I think it’s going to take some real special kids to not leave. They will have to absolutely live where they are.
I don’t know much about recruiting, but is it possible we signed a kid here that would be in the big east if he waited until the spring?
That’s the positive, the negative is how do we keep a kid like that if that is the case. I know Tobin thinks we can, that is why he is recruiting all these freshmen. But is he being realistic? I think it’s going to take some real special kids to not leave. They will have to absolutely live where they are.
Take some Valium Joe. He's signed. He's coming. Try to enjoy 😉!
Last Edit: Nov 18, 2023 20:36:24 GMT -5 by gregcrow
I don’t know much about recruiting, but is it possible we signed a kid here that would be in the big east if he waited until the spring?
That’s the positive, the negative is how do we keep a kid like that if that is the case. I know Tobin thinks we can, that is why he is recruiting all these freshmen. But is he being realistic? I think it’s going to take some real special kids to not leave. They will have to absolutely live where they are.
The kid was sold on Tobin, the staff, Iona and the team. He is a ★★★ that at one point was a TOP 150 recruit (#149), He has been recruited by Pitt, FDU, Loyola Chicago, Penn, Towson, Brown, Vermont, Dartmouth, Air Force, Siena, La Salle before Iona was ever in the picture. He played the Nike EYBL circuit with New York’s PSA Cardinals so he was in front of lots of Big East and A10 coaches... He visited Iona multiple times and then committed.
Here are quotes from when he committed:
On Tobin: “Coach Anderson believed in me, He offered me right when he got the FDU job last year, and once he got Iona, it was the same thing. And with everything going on with him after the tournament, and getting a new job at Iona, and having to get a whole new team at Iona for the ‘23 year, he still made time for me and told me how much of a priority I was there, and that was everything. For me, it was super important to play for a coach I had a relationship with, and we had that connection from day 1, so I knew it was the spot for me.”
On Iona: “The whole community there was everything I wanted. It was a family environment every time I was at school on my visits. The entire staff was with me, and they just really gave me that family vibe, and the practice was so competitive. Every single drill, those guys were competing at a high level, and I loved it,”
On the Staff: “I chose Iona because of the staff. I truly believe their staff is one of the best in the country. They work extremely hard and are super close. They were like a family when I was there. Everyone did their job. Super serious during practice, then after practice they are all close, joking around, and genuinely enjoying talking with each other.”
He was also familiar with the campus as his sister Katie plays on the Women's soccer team and runs middle distance for the track team.
All three of our recruits are signed to LOI's, it is when a player doesn't sign the LOI during the early period I get worried. I expect all three to be playing for us next season.
I love the recruit, what I’m really saying is how many maac freshmen of the years are going to stay now that money can be thrown at them? Hoping someone like menard would stay but realistically not sure that the majority of kids would. Same with most of the first team all maac freshmen. I think to be competitive at least half the roster probably needs to be upper class men who probably won’t leave.
I love the recruit, what I’m really saying is how many maac freshmen of the years are going to stay now that money can be thrown at them? Hoping someone like menard would stay but realistically not sure that the majority of kids would. Same with most of the first team all maac freshmen. I think to be competitive at least half the roster probably needs to be upper class men who probably won’t leave.
Totally agree.
Hard to believe NIL and relaxed transfer rules won't have a negative effect on low and mid majors.
They'll become JV's for the power conferences - talent proving grounds for them.
Yes, there will be exceptions, but they'll be just that, exceptions.
Remove head from sand and look no further than the mass departure of last years All-MAAC players.
Coaches will now be building their rosters one year at a time.
The rich will get richer and the tourney will lose a lot of its sex appeal with the same teams advancing every year.
With the emphasis on upperclassmen many HS kids will be available. And whether they stay for one, two, three or four years, it will be fun to watch them while they play for the Gaels.
I love the recruit, what I’m really saying is how many maac freshmen of the years are going to stay now that money can be thrown at them? Hoping someone like menard would stay but realistically not sure that the majority of kids would. Same with most of the first team all maac freshmen. I think to be competitive at least half the roster probably needs to be upper class men who probably won’t leave.
If Tobin gets us a couple of wins in the NCAA's and is successful selling the "family" aspect of the team and explaining the fact that players are making a 40 year decision.... we will do fine retaining players. As NIL moves ahead there will be adjustments due to litigation and laws beyond the NCAA regs.
I agree I86. Many young men still want the college experience. Moreover there is still a limited number of playing spots, pretty much the same as always. Our guys will simply have to play harder and smarter. I know they will. After all they are Gaels!
Last Edit: Nov 20, 2023 0:35:40 GMT -5 by epatrick
A question for 86, sharkey and anyone else who has an opinion on this. With the graduation of Tretout and Brown, we'll still have Quigley, Aranguren and Farias in the backcourt. Add to them, Menard and Wallace, and that looks like a pretty loaded guard group. While I know that games aren't played on paper, on paper how do our latest recruits stack up against the three returnees?
A question for 86, sharkey and anyone else who has an opinion on this. With the graduation of Tretout and Brown, we'll still have Quigley, Aranguren and Farias in the backcourt. Add to them, Menard and Wallace, and that looks like a pretty loaded guard group. While I know that games aren't played on paper, on paper how do our latest recruits stack up against the three returnees?
I have not seen Farias play yet so I will reserve judgement even though he was highly rated. Quigley is playing beyond his years so far and will have a season in Tobin's system, so he will be tough to unseat at starting PG. But, with Tobin's offense and defense, he requires fresh bodies, so everyone will see plenty of playing time. Whoever is playing the best in each game, will get premium time. It is a nice problem to have IMHO.
I am not worried about guard play. We need some bigs.
