Bonnies lose 2 more, Must recruit well this spring
Schmidt could really use another Ndoye this spring. Or a guard. or basically anyone with D1 talent at this point.
The roster cycle continued this week as the Bonnies lost two more players in forward Xavier Smith and guard Jalen Adams. They, along with Jordan Gathers (earlier this season) and Iakeem Alston have all decided to take their talents elsewhere.
From a wins and losses standpoint these moves will hardly effect the team. It was clear to anyone with knowledge of the program that Smith was not an A10 player and while Adams had A10 athleticism, he did not have the basketball IQ to play in Mark Schmidt’s system. These two were simply never going to see the floor. Alston would have played next season, but it would have been his last and finding someone to replace his production should not be difficult. But, while these losses don’t change the talent level of the roster they do impact the club’s depth heading into next year.
Additionally, the Bonnies have lost three seniors to graduation in Youssou Ndoye, Chris Dees and Andel Cumberbatch. That’s a total of seven players out for Mark Schmidt’s club and just two players in thus far (Woods and Griffin).
The roster situation is downright scary. Here’s what the 2015-2016 Bonnies look like as of now:
PGs- Jay Adams
Guards-Marcus Posley, Idris Taqqee
Forwards-Dion Wright, Denzel Gregg, Derrick Woods, Ladarien Griffin
Centers-Jordan Tyson
Recruiting and finding some hidden gems in the spring period is nothing new for Schmidt. Last year he nabbed Posley in the late period and the guard turned out to be one of the better scorers in the league. Now, instead of needing to hit on one player the staff is put in a position where they really need to hit on a number. Counting on Woods and Griffin to come in and play right away would be to discount Schmidt’s coaching pattern since his arrival in Olean. The staff needs to land immediate impact players at the center and shooting guard positions and that likely means quality JUCOS. Woods and Griffin will likely see limited time on the floor in their first season…unless one of them turns out to be as developed as Jay Adams (fingers crossed).
This spring is a critical one for the squad, let’s hope the coaching staff can add to this roster by putting a few final pieces in place. The starting five should be solid next year, but the lack of depth looks like it may once again but a major concern.
Categories: Editorial
Excellent analysis of the situation. Consider this, however. A hot shot JUCO player looking at the depleted Bonnies roster would be/should be eager to jump into a program where he will be needed. And with the consistent success of Schmidt of showcasing a long line of JUCOs the decision to come to Bonas should be a no-brainer.
Can someone please explain to me why Jalen Adams didn’t get a chance to prove himself this year? He averaged 25 PPg in a good league in HS and he can’t see the floor over Alston or Taqqee? Schmidt said before the season he had potential to be “explosive.” How do you sit a guy with that kind of offensive potential when they had no production from the bench this past season? Saying he could t grasp Schmidt’s offense is laughable. How often does Bonas get a recruit with that kind of potential and now he’s gone.
The short of it- just what you said, he couldn’t understand the system on either side of the ball. Same was true of a number of past players. If you don’t get it, Schmidt will never play you. Adams had two years to figure it out and didn’t. Maybe the staff should have known that before they signed him but that’s a tough thing to predict. Bottom line is he was never going to play here. Maybe he goes elsewhere and tears it up, who knows. Schmidt is clearly picky about who he plays as freshman. I agree with you though that it’s sad to see him go. After the Dartmouth game I was dreaming of an Adams backcourt for 4 years…it seemed awesome. It wasn’t to be though.