Phantom Warrior
07-18-2014, 12:49 AM
At this point in the Class of 2015, Wojo has landed a consensus Top 100 recruit in NN (#65 composite ranking on 247) and an upwardly-trending big man in Heldt, who is now ranked by some among the Top 125-150 in his class.
If this were 10, 12, 15 years ago, this already would have been perceived as a very solid class by most MU fans who would have been more than satisfied with the results.
Go back to Crean's first class (2000). Merrit was the only RSCI Top 100 recruit in that class, while Wade, as weird as it may seem now, was outside the Top 100 (though he did make two separate individual Top 100 lists). ODB was also viewed as somewhere in the Top 125-150.
In 2001, Travis was Top 50 (#36 on RSCI), and Ron Howard was viewed as somewhere in that Top 125 - 150 range.
In 2002, Novak was RSCI #57 (just a few slots higher than where Nick might be at this point), while Chapman was again the Top 125-150 range for the most part. Grimm was borderline Top 150.
In the infamous Class of 2003, Mason was Top 100, and Bell was somewhere in the Top 150.
In 2004, neither Amo nor Ooze was Top 100, though both may have been among the Top 150 on some rankings.
Of course, 2005 changed all that with the Amigos. But it took Crean six years to bring in such a highly-ranked group as all three were consensus Top 100.
In 2006 Lazar was a definite Top 100 recruit, but Cubillan wasn't seen as even close to Top 150.
Crean's '07 class was a little like Wojo's first class in that Mbakwe was Top 100 (though not by much), and Christopherson was just outside Top 100 on RSCI, probably among Top 125.
The '08 class, of course, fell apart for the most part after Taylor and Nick Williams bailed. Otule was the only incoming freshman, though we caught a break with Jimmy B.
That's nine recruiting classes, and except for '05, not one had more than one recruit who was consensus Top 100 (though obviously Wade should have joined Merrit in 2000 as Top 100).
Of course, the recruiting Class of 2015 is far from finished. It could end up that NN and MH are the two lowest-ranked out of four recruits. Who knows?
My point? We've already got a pretty damn good class, but we've gotten a bit spoiled over the past 15 years. Our expectations - our standards - have risen over the past five or six years. Of course, there's nothing wrong with increased expectations; I just hope MU fans appreciate what we already have in the Class of '15.
If this were 10, 12, 15 years ago, this already would have been perceived as a very solid class by most MU fans who would have been more than satisfied with the results.
Go back to Crean's first class (2000). Merrit was the only RSCI Top 100 recruit in that class, while Wade, as weird as it may seem now, was outside the Top 100 (though he did make two separate individual Top 100 lists). ODB was also viewed as somewhere in the Top 125-150.
In 2001, Travis was Top 50 (#36 on RSCI), and Ron Howard was viewed as somewhere in that Top 125 - 150 range.
In 2002, Novak was RSCI #57 (just a few slots higher than where Nick might be at this point), while Chapman was again the Top 125-150 range for the most part. Grimm was borderline Top 150.
In the infamous Class of 2003, Mason was Top 100, and Bell was somewhere in the Top 150.
In 2004, neither Amo nor Ooze was Top 100, though both may have been among the Top 150 on some rankings.
Of course, 2005 changed all that with the Amigos. But it took Crean six years to bring in such a highly-ranked group as all three were consensus Top 100.
In 2006 Lazar was a definite Top 100 recruit, but Cubillan wasn't seen as even close to Top 150.
Crean's '07 class was a little like Wojo's first class in that Mbakwe was Top 100 (though not by much), and Christopherson was just outside Top 100 on RSCI, probably among Top 125.
The '08 class, of course, fell apart for the most part after Taylor and Nick Williams bailed. Otule was the only incoming freshman, though we caught a break with Jimmy B.
That's nine recruiting classes, and except for '05, not one had more than one recruit who was consensus Top 100 (though obviously Wade should have joined Merrit in 2000 as Top 100).
Of course, the recruiting Class of 2015 is far from finished. It could end up that NN and MH are the two lowest-ranked out of four recruits. Who knows?
My point? We've already got a pretty damn good class, but we've gotten a bit spoiled over the past 15 years. Our expectations - our standards - have risen over the past five or six years. Of course, there's nothing wrong with increased expectations; I just hope MU fans appreciate what we already have in the Class of '15.