The fact that previous players speak highly of Matt does not mean that other players do not speak highly of their coach. I would never assume that Matt is the only coach a player likes...just that he is liked by his players. I do NOT know that the preferred option for top talent is to play for a players coach at all. That is an assumption you make that may or may not be correct.
What may very well be a bigger impact is the media falling in love wiht some coaches more than others and the perception they generate in the TV viewers...some of which are influential to various players. We drive the car sometimes as well in fawning over the three week tourney. There are some people that love to ski, but there is no way anyone can sell me on the idea to ski.
Take a cursory view of the posts when Purdue loses and sometimes when they win. You will find a lot of different opinions on the same game we all watched. You will see not only views of the game, but maybe how things would be different had their thoughts been enacted. The game didn't change..only the difference in focus and interest...coupled sometimes with understanding and yet the opinions are varied. That is human nature. Is it possible that years ago when there were beauty contests that the runner ups might be prettier to different people? If we see countless examples of humanity having different views on the same set of stimuli (agreeing on some things and disagreeing on others), is it possible that recruits have more than one thing in mind other than the coach? Do the players lie when they have their five visits and say they have good relationships with different coaches and players adn that only one was coach or team had anyone the players visiting liked?
Thought this was interesting even if football. Recruits talking about coaches...schools etc and their views
https://n.rivals.com/news/recruits-like-early-signing-period-even-with-coaching-changes
Again this is football, but here are some snippets from ALL of the players in the previous link from the All -American Bowl.
1 “Honestly, I didn’t even care about the coach leaving because Miami is in my heart,” Smith said. “That was my dream school and I always wanted to play there. No matter the coach, I still want to play there.
2 “I think it’s a good thing because it shows how much you are committed to that team and it shows the coaches how much you care about the team.”
3 I don’t go to a school because of the coaches; I go because I like the school and I feel like it fit me. For me, it doesn’t scare me too much. You should know that going in, and you should be fine.”
4 It can be bittersweet. It depends on the school you sign to. If you sign to a pretty stable program, then you should be solid, because you know your coach is going to remain there. If you sign to a school that isn’t winning games, like all those kids who signed to Miami, the head coach is gone now.”
5 “I like it a lot, especially since I have been committed for a long time to Purdue and am enrolling early. If you can sign whenever you want, I think that would be a good idea also. If you are committed to the coach, just hold off until the late signing period. But, if you are committed to the school – like, I am committed to Purdue, I don’t care who is there – then I think (signing early) is a good thing.”
6 Like I’ve always been told, don’t go to a school because of the coach. You go to a school because when you got on campus it felt like home. Obviously the coach plays a little bit of a factor, but not the biggest factor.”
7 You are not supposed to go to a school for a coach. You are supposed to go to a school because you love that school and that’s where you see yourself. Coaches leave every year.
8 “It’s a good thing because once you sign and get everything out of the way, you get a lot of stress off your shoulders. You don’t sign to coaches; you sign to a university. So, if you really want to go to that university regardless of coaches, you’ll be straight with your decision.”
