Kejuan Johnson released from NLI
- Thread starter michstfr
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Carino and others essentially outlined this weeks ago, that Kejuan Johnson wasn't coming....a mutual decision probably for both sides. Solid athlete and player, but not sure he would have made the cut here from a grade perspective, perhaps he lands elsewhere.
The program has begun to tick upwards and this development will have no effect on that.
Many of these guys never really came.
Ryan Johnson was just a practice player last year. Kejuan Johnson never made it to RU.
As long as he's upgrading the talent (and by the looks of the recent adds he is), I don't care who comes and goes. We need talent (and preferably no head cases, if possible). Not continuity of so-so talent.
All this means that Laurent is going to play MAJOR minutes, and otherwise we play a 3 guard lineup until we make another addition.
In Carino's article today he said that it was doubtful he would have gained admittance due to his academics.
Better to release the kid and give him a shot to go elsewhere than hold him in limbo hoping he would qualify.
Better to release the kid and give him a shot to go elsewhere than hold him in limbo hoping he would qualify.
It is becoming very difficult to have any confidence in what Jordan is doing with recruiting when every other kid never makes it here. Is there any "quality control?"
Anyone who isn't concerned about all players who have committed to play at RU this year and next isn't being realistic.
Anyone who isn't concerned about all players who have committed to play at RU this year and next isn't being realistic.
If the kids that are leaving or never getting here are being replaced with better talent- that is the way it works. For Ryan Johnson, perhaps it was evident he wasn't going to see playing time and as people suggest, if KJ was going to have trouble qualifying academically- best to part ways now. I'd be far more concerned if we weren't able to replace the kids leaving or replace them with lesser talent- neither "appears" to be the case as of now.
If you look at it in an isolated fashion like this, then it's fine. But that kind of tunnel vision can make most anything look acceptable. The bigger picture, however, is that Jordan went after him, got him and then couldn't get him on the team. Now, it may be because he couldn't qualify, but that risk isn't new news or something Jordan didn't know when he first offered him. Jordan was gambling. And why do coaches like Jordan gamble on kids like this rather than get similar players that are sure-fire qualifiers? Because they can't get the other players. There's actual competition for them. Other schools have not backed off them because of academics -- instead, they are going after them hard. So, instead, these coaches go for the players that they think they can get because there is less competition. But there are real risks that come with those players, the very risks that made the player available to you in the first place. So when that risk becomes reality, which happens often, the moral is not "oh well, that was likely to happen and we're better off." It's, "darn, we can't regularly recruit good players that can get here and other teams are after." We don't have the juice to land those guys.
So be it. But that's what this was.
GRF -- the way I look at it, Jordan has the near-impossible task of rebuilding the entire roster, and he's doing so while being shackled by terrible facilities, horrible public perception, and 25 years of futility. So his recruiting efforts are naturally going to be "hit and miss." But if the hits start outweighing the misses over time, we can gradually get back to having a stable, and hopefully talented, roster.
Last year's freshman -- Williams, Doorson, Foreman, Diallo, and Ryan Johnson, not to mention JUCO Bishop Daniels -- were a decent start. Yes, we lost Ryan Johnson a couple of weeks ago, but if the other four contribute for four years, that can be considered a good class.
The current class -- Kejaun Johnson, Goode (I count him here since he only came for spring semester last year, and redshirted), Laurent, and Sanders, plus JUCO Freeman and transfer Grier -- actually has the makings of a SUPERB class, even without Kejaun Johnson.
Of course I remain concerned with the overall state of this program, but I actually think Eddie is doing a pretty good job in recruiting, all things considered. I will share GRF's concern about recruiting if we lose one of the better kids from the classes of 2014 or 2015.
Last year's freshman -- Williams, Doorson, Foreman, Diallo, and Ryan Johnson, not to mention JUCO Bishop Daniels -- were a decent start. Yes, we lost Ryan Johnson a couple of weeks ago, but if the other four contribute for four years, that can be considered a good class.
The current class -- Kejaun Johnson, Goode (I count him here since he only came for spring semester last year, and redshirted), Laurent, and Sanders, plus JUCO Freeman and transfer Grier -- actually has the makings of a SUPERB class, even without Kejaun Johnson.
Of course I remain concerned with the overall state of this program, but I actually think Eddie is doing a pretty good job in recruiting, all things considered. I will share GRF's concern about recruiting if we lose one of the better kids from the classes of 2014 or 2015.
Gotta bring in kids with a head on their shoulders. There's a reason Omari Grier got here. He seems to be a smart kid. If the kid will struggle to pass a class it's a waste of time. I hear you Fig with the "quality control"
Why didn't we know about his struggle before hand? Why wait till now? Nonetheless, he's out and we're better for it.
Why didn't we know about his struggle before hand? Why wait till now? Nonetheless, he's out and we're better for it.
Hey FIG, you want to be realistic? Let's be realistic then. The kids that are leaving wouldn't even play a minute on Ohio State's team. Look at the situation like this. Recruiting must be going well. He can now cut weight from the D3 players and get the top guys now. People around the program were whispering that it was so bad, he couldn't give a scholarship out. Now he lands a great class and the piped piper Sanders is attracting talent. If you don't see what's happening, maybe it's you who isn't being realistic.
The spin doctors love to change the narrative. Willis never ran a 4.3 nailed it as usual. When we got him, it was a solid pickup. Now suddenly it's no loss that he's gone. You can't have it both ways.
Why were these kids brought here to begin with? Did his academ
I don't have the info in front of me, imagine constructing a spreadsheet. Column A---player name...Column B---players expectation/talent Column C---status of that player now OR what he brought to the program.
It would be a very depressing excel file.
I don't have the info in front of me, imagine constructing a spreadsheet. Column A---player name...Column B---players expectation/talent Column C---status of that player now OR what he brought to the program.
It would be a very depressing excel file.
Ok so as far as Johnsons go, RU is batting .333 (Ryan - out / Kejuan-out / Nigel - in)
But, if the overall assessment is that Ryan Johnson might be better off at a program where his talent would command a large role - and if Kejuan is felt to be likely to have difficulties with some of the non-basketball aspects - then the departures are of nominal impact - and if each departure results in the addition of an even higher up-side player - then what is really not to like?
But, if the overall assessment is that Ryan Johnson might be better off at a program where his talent would command a large role - and if Kejuan is felt to be likely to have difficulties with some of the non-basketball aspects - then the departures are of nominal impact - and if each departure results in the addition of an even higher up-side player - then what is really not to like?
You don't want Jordan to take chances on academics? There goes Sanders, Ryan Johnson, Kejuan Johnson, and Diallo, just to name four. It worked out for a couple of them. Two never played for us. Instead, we used one of those scholarships on a 5th year and one is open. But the point is we threw darts at a wall and it got us two very good players in Sanders and Diallo, even if it didn't work out for the others.
Carino blurb on KJ. Academic issues apparently. And no idea if they try to fill the scholarship this year or next.http://www.app.com/story/sports/col...2/rutgers-basketball-kejuan-johnson/28352275/
http://www.app.com/story/sports/col...2/rutgers-basketball-kejuan-johnson/28352275/
http://www.app.com/story/sports/col...2/rutgers-basketball-kejuan-johnson/28352275/
One publication rated him the 50th best forward in the class yet his offers were from Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Western Kentucky, Florida Gulf Coast, East Tennessee State and Bowling Green. Either the rating is off or there is some baggage. I've heard baggage.
Laurent and Ellison were targeted once Kejuan Johnson started flaming out....Laurent is a high academic kid and just as talented physically. Ellison would have been a great addition as well. Freeman is a starter as is Sanders. This roster at least has more balance than the Rice class, it just lacks the hype that it carried before. For months people kept asking why wings were being targeted. The old RU regimes would not have landed anyone else as talented and hoped Kejuan qualified.....
I'm not sold on Eddie on game days, but there really shouldn't be any argument about the pieces in place now....it's not winning 20 games next year, but it should be better than the last 2 years.
I'm not sold on Eddie on game days, but there really shouldn't be any argument about the pieces in place now....it's not winning 20 games next year, but it should be better than the last 2 years.
Who is the player who could not have been here absent Johnson's inability to qualify?
When I heard Ryan Johnson was transferring I assumed someone had their Johnsons mixed up. I would have liked to see what Ryan could have done. As for losing Kejuan, I'm fine with seeing what kind of last minute options open up.
I think it's worth saving an extra scholarship for next year. If we can show some positive momentum this season, it could definitely lead to better offeree options next class.
