Alternative to Catchings

[Wolegib]

I don’t know the real story behind Catchings leaving. Some people say he demanded x amount of playing time and painter refused to guarantee anything. Some say it was money. Who knows.

At the time Catchings committed and later when he signed, Painter was recruiting other players, some high school and some portal.

I’m curious. For those of you who follow recruiting more intensely than myself. And for those of you who have a better memory than me. I ask a simple question.

Who was Painter also recruiting at the time Catchings first committed that we missed out on that might have committed to Purdue ? I recall Painter was recruiting some tall guards that went elsewhere. Did Catching’s commitment impact their decision to go elsewhere? Was there another big man or wing we might have signed? Was there a portal player?

Many people look at catchings stats at byu and say we dodged a bullet. Well that recruit that ended up going to Kentucky has been just as bad.

I’m just wondering who we missed out on. Who was considering Purdue but painter said sorry, Catchings has committed?

Jacobsen also affected painter’s recruiting efforts by declaring early.

Did Catching’s signing have an impact on Sisley’s decision to commit to IU? Or Mullins’ decision? Did any of the other players painter was recruiting that went elsewhere have a decent freshman year?

 

[Indy_Rider]

I believe Catchings leaving opened up the spot for Jacobsen as I thought we were over when he committed.

 

[Wolegib]

Both Jacobsen and Catchings were signed at the same time. Although Jacobsen declaring early discarded our recruiting. And Harris and Cox also signed before Catchings left. Before the rule change, we were technically 1 over. But Painter said he had a plan after signing Harris

 

[BBG]

Catchings should have stayed as I don't think he's doing squat at BYU but I admit, I am not following them/him that closely.

 

[qazplm]

I believe Catchings leaving opened up the spot for Jacobsen as I thought we were over when he committed.

I mean technically it did, but Painter I assume has someone on tap to leave if he didn't.

Understandably, he's not gone public with that because that person, whomever it is, is obviously currently on the roster.

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

Catchings should have stayed as I don't think he's doing squat at BYU but I admit, I am not following them/him that closely.

Shooting 37% from 3…but not shooting well from FT. Would have given us another scorer and an athletic wing. Defensively though, have not followed closely to be able to comment there. But he has gone from starting to coming off the bench and on sometimes doesn’t play much at all.

 

[Wolegib]

Catchings did himself no favors in leaving.

I looked at a couple of recruiting web sites. And I only found one name of any other player that painter recruited that didn’t sign with us other than the guard who went to Kentucky. When I saw his name, I don’t remember it or him ever being seriously recruited by Painter. The player was a center. And I can understand with the signings of Burgess and Jacobsen why Painter didn’t pursue signing a third center in the same recruiting class.

I agree with a point made above. We had reached our scholarship limit and Painter said publicly that he knew of a way to add Harris although that would put us over the limit. I can understand why Painter never named the player involved as I suspect he’s still on the team. For all we know it may have been Smith And he probably said he’s making enough NIL money that he’d give up his scholarship if it meant adding Harris.

Looking back, it seems like Painter had a lot of early commitments to fill up the class that he really didn’t do any other recruiting.

I was wrong in my stated date of Catchings leaving. He left in June, not August. However by that time all of the elite high school recruits had already committed.

With Catchings leaving and the scholarship situation resolved, Painter probably thought about the portal, but felt with Jacobsen and TKR and all his guards, he really didn’t need to try to recruit a portal player to fill the void left by Catchings.

I’m going to speculate if Catchings had never committed, painter probably would have recruited another wing /power forward. Rather than Cox. Or he may have convinced Gillis to stay another year. I’m convinced if Painter had asked Gillis to stay another year, he would have. I’m also convinced that Painter contacted the Duke coach with a good word for Gillis

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

Looking back, it seems like Painter had a lot of early commitments to fill up the class that he really didn’t do any other recruiting.

This is what the typical process was prior to the transfer portal.

I was wrong in my stated date of Catchings leaving. He left in June, not August. However by that time all of the elite high school recruits had already committed.

With Catchings leaving and the scholarship situation resolved, Painter probably thought about the portal, but felt with Jacobsen and TKR and all his guards, he really didn’t need to try to recruit a portal player to fill the void left by Catchings.

The scholarship was resolved by Purdue being at the correct limit. He would not have been able to sign someone else with it being so late, as a majority of players were committed by the time Catchings left. I believe the portal was already closed by then as well.

I’m going to speculate if Catchings had never committed, painter probably would have recruited another wing /power forward. Rather than Cox.

He was recruiting Perry, another PG when he saw CJ. If he hadn’t recruited CJ, he had gone after Perry, or with DJ not reclassifying, he may not have gone after anyone after Perry (which was well known UK was his number 1).

Or he may have convinced Gillis to stay another year. I’m convinced if Painter had asked Gillis to stay another year, he would have. I’m also convinced that Painter contacted the Duke coach with a good word for Gillis

It can’t be stated enough, that Gillis decided at the beginning of his last season that he was going to leave. Painter made all 3 seniors decide at the beginning of last year. He said he’d welcome them all with open arms, had they all wanted to come back. However, if they decided to hit the portal, he wanted to give them the time to get the best possible NIL deal and go to the best team possible for their skills. Gillis has said this in a podcast interview and Paint has said it in another podcast interview. So, paint could not have asked Gillis back as he had already committed to Duke, which he stated was his dream school growing up.