Steele's Recruiting Record

[XUGRAD80]

Now that I'm retired, I can get up in the early morning and do stupid inane activities and not get paid for them, unlike when I was working and got up early in the morning, did stupid inane activities, and got paid for them. The difference is that now I get to choose what those stupid inane activities are. Here's my latest.....:laugh:

People are always talking about how good a recruiter Steele is, but is he? Using the 24/7 Sports site, I came up with the following information regarding the type of player he recruits (including transfers) and the rankings of his classes (transfers don't count in the rankings):

2017 ranked 11 nationally and 1 in the BE
6-6 200
6-6 185
6-6 175
6-5 180

2018 ranked 66 nationally and 7 in the BE
6-7 215
6-4 175
7-0 270 (never enrolled)
6-9 205 (T)

2019 ranked 27 nationally and 2 in the BE
6-4 175
6-9 215
6-8 220
6-1 190
6-10 210
6-2 190 (T)
6-8 220 (T)

2020 ranked 26 nationally and 3 in the BE
6-1 180
6-5 195
6-6 195
6-3 165 (T)
6-3 180 (T)

2021 ranked 54 nationally and 7 in the BE
6-10 205
6-7 190
6-7 220 (T)
6-11 235 (T)

2022 ranked 26 nationally and 3 in the BE (This is the class that should be coming in next year)
6-7 185
6-5 180
6-5 190

Conclusions:

Steele really likes tweeners. He has recruited a bunch of people that are between 6-4 and 6-6 and less than 200 lbs.

Steele has a really poor record when it comes to recruiting bigs that are successful. Nunge and Freemantle are the only ones at this point.

Steele doesn't seem to like "power" players at all. Or maybe "power" players see no spot in his "system", and don't come to X for that reason?

He has had 1 top BE class (2017), 1 second placer (2019), and 2 3rd placers (2020/2022), but he has also had 2 7th placers (2018/2021). His recruiting record in the BE has certainly been feast or famine and not consistent.

IMO, if we look at how his classes have been ranked, the type of players that he has mostly recruited (tweeners wings), the retention of those recruits, and the success of those recruits individually, I think that he really isn't that good of a recruiter. He and his staff have certainly not proven to be good developers of recruits either. Based on those things I'm not really that surprised that the results have been far less than any of us had hoped they would be.

[JTG]

There's no bulk. They're all lightweights. Yes, they're highly rated recruits but they're all the same. It's like he's building a house with nothing but bedrooms. No kitchen, a bigs, no bathrooms, shooters, family rooms, defenders.

[A Fan]

There's no bulk. They're all lightweights. Yes, they're highly rated recruits but they're all the same. It's like he's building a house with nothing but bedrooms. No kitchen, a bigs, no bathrooms, shooters, family rooms, defenders.

Very Clever. And spot on.

[drudy23]

Now that I'm retired, I can get up in the early morning and do stupid inane activities and not get paid for them, unlike when I was working and got up early in the morning, did stupid inane activities, and got paid for them. The difference is that now I get to choose what those stupid inane activities are. Here's my latest.....:laugh:

People are always talking about how good a recruiter Steele is, but is he? Using the 24/7 Sports site, I came up with the following information regarding the type of player he recruits (including transfers) and the rankings of his classes (transfers don't count in the rankings):

2017 ranked 11 nationally and 1 in the BE
6-6 200
6-6 185
6-6 175
6-5 180

2018 ranked 66 nationally and 7 in the BE
6-7 215
6-4 175
7-0 270 (never enrolled)
6-9 205 (T)

2019 ranked 27 nationally and 2 in the BE
6-4 175
6-9 215
6-8 220
6-1 190
6-10 210
6-2 190 (T)
6-8 220 (T)

2020 ranked 26 nationally and 3 in the BE
6-1 180
6-5 195
6-6 195
6-3 165 (T)
6-3 180 (T)

2021 ranked 54 nationally and 7 in the BE
6-10 205
6-7 190
6-7 220 (T)
6-11 235 (T)

2022 ranked 26 nationally and 3 in the BE (This is the class that should be coming in next year)
6-7 185
6-5 180
6-5 190

Conclusions:

Steele really likes tweeners. He has recruited a bunch of people that are between 6-4 and 6-6 and less than 200 lbs.

Steele has a really poor record when it comes to recruiting bigs that are successful. Nunge and Freemantle are the only ones at this point.

Steele doesn't seem to like "power" players at all. Or maybe "power" players see no spot in his "system", and don't come to X for that reason?

He has had 1 top BE class (2017), 1 second placer (2019), and 2 3rd placers (2020/2022), but he has also had 2 7th placers (2018/2021). His recruiting record in the BE has certainly been feast or famine and not consistent.

IMO, if we look at how his classes have been ranked, the type of players that he has mostly recruited (tweeners wings), the retention of those recruits, and the success of those recruits individually, I think that he really isn't that good of a recruiter. He and his staff have certainly not proven to be good developers of recruits either. Based on those things I'm not really that surprised that the results have been far less than any of us had hoped they would be.

This has been evident since he started and I've been shouting this from the rooftops for 3 years. You can tell from his recruiting profile that he's in love with the stretch wing. It's how he got the job - he used Villanova's stretch style and said "we're going to be that". Problem is, he neglected some pieces that enable that, most notably, a couple big guys to defend the paint, and oh yeah, guys that can actually shoot.

[X Factor]

This has been evident since he started and I've been shouting this from the rooftops for 3 years. You can tell from his recruiting profile that he's in love with the stretch wing. It's how he got the job - he used Villanova's stretch style and said "we're going to be that". Problem is, he neglected some pieces that enable that, most notably, a couple big guys to defend the paint, and oh yeah, guys that can actually shoot.

Also, Jay Wright has instilled a culture at Villanova so that every incoming freshman knows what is expected from them. Wright had a 5* PG in Javon Quinerly transfer to Alabama. You think Wright cared?

It's been four years of Steele and has he even put his stamp on this program in any way? What kind of culture has he instilled? We still don't know what team we're gonna see on a nightly basis.

We can debate the packline defense all we want, but it's obvious he isn't teaching it properly or emphasizing the fundamentals of playing the packline defense.

After four years, you would expect the HC to have a system and culture in place that translates to the recruits he's bringing in.

[Masterofreality]

In Steele’s 4 years Xavier has shot from 3 point range 33.1% in 2019, 31.2% in 2020, 32.5% in 2021 and 32.6% in 2022 thus far. In those years in order Xavier has ranked the following Nationally: 245, 289, 233, 247.
In every year, the opposition has shot a higher percentage than Xavier from 3.
Not good. But we recruit “shooters” huh?
YES! Let’s shoot more 3’s!!!

[X Factor]

In Steele’s 4 years Xavier has shot from 3 point range 33.1% in 2019, 31.2% in 2020, 32.5% in 2021 and 32.6% in 2022 thus far.
In every year, the opposition has shot a higher percentage than Xavier from 3.
Not good. But we recruit “shooters” huh?

It's not going to be any better next year, imo.

[xuphan]

It's not going to be any better next year, imo.

I think it will be an interesting off-season for this team (Steele will most likely be here). Who leaves the program and who stays? Stay would be Odom, AK, Colby, Free, Nunge (hopefully), Edwards, Tucker. Leave would be KyKy, Scruggs, Nate, Miles, Stanley. New pieces are Claude, Craft, Ward. The pieces add a lot of length that is much needed on this team. However, I only see Ward being a main contributor next year out of those 3. Not sure if Craft is ready defensively. With that being said, I think Steele needs to pick up another forward and a guard who can “shoot” from the portal. It will be interesting to see the roster turnover going into next year.

[drudy23]

I wouldn't be surprised if AK takes a look - he seems frustrated too. He will be a grad transfer and can go anywhere with no sit out year.

[boozehound]

It's not going to be any better next year, imo.

It's amazing, really. All that effort spent recruiting guys who can shoot at all 5 positions, only to have them all turn out to be poor shooters. That or our coaching staff sucks at teaching 3pt shooting mechanics and shot selection. Either way, same result.

We sold out on outside shooting and ended up being terrible at it.

[D-West & PO-Z]

I wouldn't be surprised if AK takes a look - he seems frustrated too. He will be a grad transfer and can go anywhere with no sit out year.

Anyone can transfer and not sit out a year now. And he didn't use that up yet bc he transferred before the rule change (although he ended up not having to sit anyway, but that was due to a waiver and then rule changes bc of covid).

[drudy23]

Anyone can transfer and not sit out a year now. And he didn't use that up yet bc he transferred before the rule change (although he ended up not having to sit anyway, but that was due to a waiver and then rule changes bc of covid).

Really? I thought that was just a covid thing - is it still a covid thing?

So they're going to just continue to let these guys transfer all around whenever they want?

[X Factor]

Really? I thought that was just a covid thing - is it still a covid thing?

So they're going to just continue to let these guys transfer all around whenever they want?

Everyone gets 1 free transfer without having to sit out a year. If they transfer again, they would have to sit.

[MHettel]

Everyone gets 1 free transfer without having to sit out a year. If they transfer again, they would have to sit.

Which makes no sense at all.

If the idea was that we needed to eliminate the "sit out year" due to players rights, then how can they justify the "sit out year" if you transfer a second time.

[xavierj]

I wouldn't be surprised if AK takes a look - he seems frustrated too. He will be a grad transfer and can go anywhere with no sit out year.

Where is he going to go? UC? NKU? He leaves Xavier, he will be going down a level. He is another one that just has to get stronger. Whole damn team needs to figure that out. Hope the new strength coach has a plan.

[XUGRAD80]

Everyone seems to think that Nova is mainly an undersized center with 4 similar players running around them launching 3 pointers, but the truth is that they may not be tall but they are BIG. How big you ask? Well, here’s their staring lineup for tonight’s game against Providence….

6-8 255
6-7 220
6-7 230
6-4 210
6-3 195

Any surprise that X gets pushed around and easily posted when playing them?

And Providence? Not to shabby either.

6-8 220
6-7 210
6-10 260
6-6 205
5-8 180

Hey Steele….Where’s the Beef?

[Xville]

Everyone seems to think that Nova is mainly an undersized center with 4 similar players running around them launching 3 pointers, but the truth is that they may not be tall but they are BIG. How big you ask? Well, here’s their staring lineup for tonight’s game against Providence….

6-8 255
6-7 220
6-7 230
6-4 210
6-3 195

Any surprise that X gets pushed around and easily posted when playing them?

And Providence? Not to shabby either.

6-8 220
6-7 210
6-10 260
6-6 205
5-8 180

Hey Steele….Where’s the Beef?

Strength and conditioning coach also needs to seriously be looked at…we have guys who are 4 years into the program and look like they have never seen the inside of a weight room.

Realize now this coach has only been here this season so I’ll give the guy a break but hope there is a plan here.

[Xavier]

I’ve been saying that for a few years. I really think Colby feels like a nova player- the difference is nova would spend A lot of time first couple years beefing him up- by junior year he’d fit right in. We get pushed around like crazy

[drudy23]

Where is he going to go? UC? NKU? He leaves Xavier, he will be going down a level. He is another one that just has to get stronger. Whole damn team needs to figure that out. Hope the new strength coach has a plan.

Well his other option was UK before he decided on X, so I'm sure he'll have options.

[RoseyMuskie]

Thanks for compiling that, 80.

The pendulum has definitely swung too far to recruiting the versatile wing and shooting. Problem is, the team isn’t good at perimeter shooting. And X can’t shoot other teams away from bullying them.

And in theory, I don’t mind prioritizing those types of players when recruiting. It’s the best way to play basketball in today’s age. But Steele has either failed to develop or just missed from a scouting standpoint.

[drudy23]

Thanks for compiling that, 80.

The pendulum has definitely swung too far to recruiting the versatile wing and shooting. Problem is, the team isn’t good at perimeter shooting. And X can’t shoot other teams away from bullying them.

And in theory, I don’t mind prioritizing those types of players when recruiting. It’s the best way to play basketball in today’s age. But Steele has either failed to develop or just missed from a scouting standpoint.

This is a fallacy. It’s a preferred way to play now but there’s no such thing as the best way. Any offense can be successful with the proper personnel and excellent execution. The key is your personnel building the competencies required for your system. This is where Steele fails big time.

If you can’t shoot and your post presence is limited, you have no shot in this conference.

Required: Shooters, spacing, capable passing from the post, patience, constant ball movement, court general to put it all together.

Reality: poor shooters, one on one play, rushed shots, post turnovers, lots of dribbling, no true point guard

This teams worst attributes are literally the opposite of what makes this type of offense successful.