2019 6’8 F Tristan Enaruna (KU transfer, Iowa State commit)

[3ontheway]

Thanks for that, had thought those guys were around 80-100, didn't realize MB and JP were that high. I am not sure it is realistic to expect CU to take top 50 guys (even occasionally) from blueblood pipeline, but it sure would be nice. Recruiting to Omaha seems to be a tougher sell than Providence, Cincy, Milwaukee, Philly, D.C., and maybe even Chicago at this point (with a DePaul program that has been a laughingstock for a long time but now showing life). Realistic about it. Would just be nice to land 1 or 2 to prove it can be done to lay the groundwork and break through. Especially with a 6'9" or 6'10" athletic big (what has been missing the most since joining the BE). Just my .02

[bluejayfan00]

Thanks for that, had thought those guys were around 80-100, didn't realize MB and JP were that high. I am not sure it is realistic to expect CU to take top 50 guys (even occasionally) from blueblood pipeline, but it sure would be nice. Recruiting to Omaha seems to be a tougher sell than Providence, Cincy, Milwaukee, Philly, D.C., and maybe even Chicago at this point (with a DePaul program that has been a laughingstock for a long time but now showing life). Realistic about it. Would just be nice to land 1 or 2 to prove it can be done to lay the groundwork and break through. Especially with a 6'9" or 6'10" athletic big (what has been missing the most since joining the BE). Just my .02

Yeah, but even Providence and DePaul have landed top 50 guys. They have better recruiting grounds, but still. I don't think we should expect to recruit at Novas level, but a top 50 guy every once and again would be nice. Maybe Mors or Sallis could be that.

[bluejayb13]

Thanks for that, had thought those guys were around 80-100, didn't realize MB and JP were that high. I am not sure it is realistic to expect CU to take top 50 guys (even occasionally) from blueblood pipeline, but it sure would be nice. Recruiting to Omaha seems to be a tougher sell than Providence, Cincy, Milwaukee, Philly, D.C., and maybe even Chicago at this point (with a DePaul program that has been a laughingstock for a long time but now showing life). Realistic about it. Would just be nice to land 1 or 2 to prove it can be done to lay the groundwork and break through. Especially with a 6'9" or 6'10" athletic big (what has been missing the most since joining the BE). Just my .02

I don't think Creighton can expect top 50 guys every year, but they can't just be out on them all together. You can't improve as a program if you aren't willing to strive to do the things necessary to get to that next level. This staff hasn't failed in recruiting. They will have 5 top 150 recruits on the roster next year. But at the same time it is completely fair to be disappointed in this year's recruiting. This team needed to add depth at the post and if they could have added an immediate impact player (Enaruna) they would have shaped up to be a very dangerous team with second weekend expectations, but they accomplished neither (so far, and it is very late in the game). Being realistic about it is also seeing that Creighton is now a power conference school with top 10 attendance and top facilities in the country and expecting results to improved based on that. Signing two 200 level recruits does not match expectations in my mind. Shereef and Windham absolutely could make an impact this year but they don't bring something to the table we do not already have and to actually expect them to be players this season that get us over the 1st weekend hump is unfair to them. I know some of us have been waiting for this year as a potential breakout year for the program since the 2016-17 collapse and are just disheartened that it isn't shaping up that way on paper. Still hopes they could prove me wrong, though.

[3ontheway]

Well they obviously can't expect them every year, I think only 5 or 10 programs can. They have only landed one ever I guess, based on the good dr bluejay's analysis. The hope is to be IN ON a lot of these guys EVERY year and land 1 or 2 every 2-3 years. That is how they take the next step.

[REALITY]

Thanks for that, had thought those guys were around 80-100, didn't realize MB and JP were that high. I am not sure it is realistic to expect CU to take top 50 guys (even occasionally) from blueblood pipeline, but it sure would be nice. Recruiting to Omaha seems to be a tougher sell than Providence, Cincy, Milwaukee, Philly, D.C., and maybe even Chicago at this point (with a DePaul program that has been a laughingstock for a long time but now showing life). Realistic about it. Would just be nice to land 1 or 2 to prove it can be done to lay the groundwork and break through. Especially with a 6'9" or 6'10" athletic big (what has been missing the most since joining the BE). Just my .02

I don't think Creighton can expect top 50 guys every year, but they can't just be out on them all together. You can't improve as a program if you aren't willing to strive to do the things necessary to get to that next level. This staff hasn't failed in recruiting. They will have 5 top 150 recruits on the roster next year. But at the same time it is completely fair to be disappointed in this year's recruiting. This team needed to add depth at the post and if they could have added an immediate impact player (Enaruna) they would have shaped up to be a very dangerous team with second weekend expectations, but they accomplished neither (so far, and it is very late in the game). Being realistic about it is also seeing that Creighton is now a power conference school with top 10 attendance and top facilities in the country and expecting results to improved based on that. Signing two 200 level recruits does not match expectations in my mind. Shereef and Windham absolutely could make an impact this year but they don't bring something to the table we do not already have and to actually expect them to be players this season that get us over the 1st weekend hump is unfair to them. I know some of us have been waiting for this year as a potential breakout year for the program since the 2016-17 collapse and are just disheartened that it isn't shaping up that way on paper. Still hopes they could prove me wrong, though.

No, we shouldn't expect top 50 freshmen every year, at least until we start to consistently make the second weekend, but that doesn't mean we can't get "top 50 guys." I don't think anyone could argue that Watson wasn't a top 50 player. Foster was closer to that top 50 cut-off, but I think he was still there, too. Neither of them were rated as such, of course, but that's more indicative of the issues with recruiting rankings - the inability to correct for the effects of one-and-dones on the whole system and the inability to properly rate transfers.
IMO, we need to get back to transfers. Forget the top 50 guys and stop wasting resources on them. They won't come here until will "prove ourselves." And for god's sakes, we sure as hell won't prove ourselves if we're relying on 6'5 guys trying to play the 4 and only have 2 guys taller than 6'7 on the roster.

[REALITY]

Well they obviously can't expect them every year, I think only 5 or 10 programs can. They have only landed one ever I guess, based on the good dr bluejay's analysis. The hope is to be IN ON a lot of these guys EVERY year and land 1 or 2 every 2-3 years. That is how they take the next step.

Except this strategy really hasn't worked. Yes we got Patton, but he was an Omaha kid and we were on him before he blew up.
We have since missed on Bowen, Harvey, Lawson, and Enaruna and couldn't get Waters due to his LOI to Georgetown.
Maybe, just maybe, it's time we re-evaluate?

[3ontheway]

Point well taken on the transfer market, seems to be a bigger pool every year and easier barrier to entry. In order to build a perennial top 25 program where you EXPECT to go to the Dance with a 6 seed or better, you need to do both. Being in a power conference, it should be doable in my humble opinion. I think the staff is doing a decent job building the roster the last 2-3 years after a transition post Doug and the unfortunate Mo injury that was a crusher. They just have not landed that one or 2 real difference makers YET. Maybe TSA and JE and MB turn into them the next 2 years, you never know.

[go_jays]

Very disappointing two years in a row, hope we have a backup plan. It sucks Kansas comes in late and snaps him up.

Spoiler: We don't. Mac hasn't learned. Get ready for highlights of Mitch getting leaped over by actual 4s for offensive putbacks. It'll be great.

I notice you are a very recent, very negative poster. Any chance you are a reincarnation of one of our earlier poxes?

He's a troll.

[bluejayfan2054]

Thanks for that, had thought those guys were around 80-100, didn't realize MB and JP were that high. I am not sure it is realistic to expect CU to take top 50 guys (even occasionally) from blueblood pipeline, but it sure would be nice. Recruiting to Omaha seems to be a tougher sell than Providence, Cincy, Milwaukee, Philly, D.C., and maybe even Chicago at this point (with a DePaul program that has been a laughingstock for a long time but now showing life). Realistic about it. Would just be nice to land 1 or 2 to prove it can be done to lay the groundwork and break through. Especially with a 6'9" or 6'10" athletic big (what has been missing the most since joining the BE). Just my .02

I don't think Creighton can expect top 50 guys every year, but they can't just be out on them all together. You can't improve as a program if you aren't willing to strive to do the things necessary to get to that next level. This staff hasn't failed in recruiting. They will have 5 top 150 recruits on the roster next year. But at the same time it is completely fair to be disappointed in this year's recruiting. This team needed to add depth at the post and if they could have added an immediate impact player (Enaruna) they would have shaped up to be a very dangerous team with second weekend expectations, but they accomplished neither (so far, and it is very late in the game). Being realistic about it is also seeing that Creighton is now a power conference school with top 10 attendance and top facilities in the country and expecting results to improved based on that. Signing two 200 level recruits does not match expectations in my mind. Shereef and Windham absolutely could make an impact this year but they don't bring something to the table we do not already have and to actually expect them to be players this season that get us over the 1st weekend hump is unfair to them. I know some of us have been waiting for this year as a potential breakout year for the program since the 2016-17 collapse and are just disheartened that it isn't shaping up that way on paper. Still hopes they could prove me wrong, though.

No, we shouldn't expect top 50 freshmen every year, at least until we start to consistently make the second weekend, but that doesn't mean we can't get "top 50 guys." I don't think anyone could argue that Watson wasn't a top 50 player. Foster was closer to that top 50 cut-off, but I think he was still there, too. Neither of them were rated as such, of course, but that's more indicative of the issues with recruiting rankings - the inability to correct for the effects of one-and-dones on the whole system and the inability to properly rate transfers.
IMO, we need to get back to transfers. Forget the top 50 guys and stop wasting resources on them. They won't come here until will "prove ourselves." And for god's sakes, we sure as hell won't prove ourselves if we're relying on 6'5 guys trying to play the 4 and only have 2 guys taller than 6'7 on the roster.

Agree 100%. Texas Tech built their championship level team on transfers. We should be able to do the same (TT was never relevant until recently)

[go_jays]

As for recruiting Top 50 guys every year... We haven't earned the right to expect that we can do that, yet. Top 50 players want to know that we'll be in The Dance every year... Want to know that we are a consistent Top 20-40 program (at least). Want to know that we'll prepare them for The Leauge.

Problem is, we can't do that without having at least a couple of Top 50 guys on the roster each year.

Soooooo, the problem really is a "Catch 22".

Until that problem is solved, it will be hit and miss as to whether we can recruit Top 50 players. Until then, we just have to deal with it... and Grad Transfers are a possibility. But then again, that's a bit of a crap shoot too.