Palmetto Proving Grounds

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Hating_on_CU said...

Wilds jr film was fantastic, but his sr was average at best. That being said he had no ol to speak of, nor another playmaker, while defenses put 9 guys in the box his Sr year.

34-17, 4-3, 7-1, 29-7, 34-13 ALL STOP!!! It's a GREAT TIME TO BE A GAMECOCK! Back 2 Back Natty's! DOMINATION By GAMECOCK NATION!

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CousinEddie said...

So should we not have gone after Clowney or Marcus? I will take my chances with 5-star recruits over 2 and 3 stars any day and everyday!! Obviously, not all 5-stars will be successful but they have raw talent to work with from day 1. It's up to the college coaches to develop it.

Wealth is the product of man's capacity to think. There are no evil thoughts except one: The refusal to think.

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SCFlabbergaster said...

So you'd recruit a guy that you know has the potential to be an absolute poison in your locker room b/c he has the talent the be a threat on the field? You have a group of 10 guys, 5 of whom are prima-donnas who've never learned the value of discipline, respect for leadership or respect for the game but are a genuine threat to take it to the house every play and 5 of whom have marginal talent but will grind away all day, pick up their teammates, give 100% in both attendance and effort and shed blood, sweat and tears for their brothers on the field and you'd go with the first group?

The whole point is that our coaches have worked hard to put more emphasis on character and work ethic than blazing speed or huge numbers. They've worked to plug in pieces to the puzzle that will grow better with their effort but will earn what they get. Sure, we try to maximize the talent for each player. But that high character is of paramount importance to our staff. We'll take the Clowneys all day long if they buy into the team concept and give every bit of effort that any walk-on would. But if he were a "Booby Miles" (the movie version, I doubt the real-life Booby was as unwilling to put in the work) who didn't feel the need to lift like his teammates and floated through life, our staff seems to understand that this is more of a detriment to a program than any potential benefit.

Then you have a guy like Marcus. Sure, he was a 5 star. But that's not what makes him successful. He is probably the highest caliber individual I've ever seen on USC's football team. This is no slight to any other player ever (and he lives in a day and age when we all know everything about him, unlike previous guys who may have had the same attributes), but his work ethic, his contagious effort, heart and determination is where his worth lies. He may have that elite vision, that pad lean, that precognition for where a hole will be that marks all the great backs. But what truly makes him special is his heart. He didn't run over the UGa defenders on talent. He plowed Barcarri Rambo into the end zone on heart, determination, and hard work to make his body capable of such things. But if he had 2 star talent, he would be no less valuable to this team. He would still be a success because he would will it to be so.

That is the point of this thread. The character, moral fiber, will, heart and determination are unaccounted for (or at least undervalued) in the ratings systems. But that is, in reality, what makes a good team. Give me 22 of those guys and strip down the talent to be middle of the road, and I'll take that class all day. These types of classes pulled in year after year would end up giving you 5th year seniors who've elevated their play & abilities through hard work and devotion and they'll at least be in the hunt for titles (see Virginia Tech or Boise State for prime examples of this). They'll win more than the 22 five stars who all want to be the center of attention but don't want to have to work to get it.

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MrBigAl said...

Mike Triglia vs. Dwayne Allen

Ally will beat the crap out of Uga.

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RCSpur said...

There's more to evaluating talent than on the field production. You have to look at the kids upbringing and character. Those will always be the x factor to me.

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SCFlabbergaster said...

So you'd recruit a guy that you know has the potential to be an absolute poison in your locker room b/c he has the talent the be a threat on the field? You have a group of 10 guys, 5 of whom are prima-donnas who've never learned the value of discipline, respect for leadership or respect for the game but are a genuine threat to take it to the house every play and 5 of whom have marginal talent but will grind away all day, pick up their teammates, give 100% in both attendance and effort and shed blood, sweat and tears for their brothers on the field and you'd go with the first group?

The whole point is that our coaches have worked hard to put more emphasis on character and work ethic than blazing speed or huge numbers. They've worked to plug in pieces to the puzzle that will grow better with their effort but will earn what they get. Sure, we try to maximize the talent for each player. But that high character is of paramount importance to our staff. We'll take the Clowneys all day long if they buy into the team concept and give every bit of effort that any walk-on would. But if he were a "Booby Miles" (the movie version, I doubt the real-life Booby was as unwilling to put in the work) who didn't feel the need to lift like his teammates and floated through life, our staff seems to understand that this is more of a detriment to a program than any potential benefit.

Then you have a guy like Marcus. Sure, he was a 5 star. But that's not what makes him successful. He is probably the highest caliber individual I've ever seen on USC's football team. This is no slight to any other player ever (and he lives in a day and age when we all know everything about him, unlike previous guys who may have had the same attributes), but his work ethic, his contagious effort, heart and determination is where his worth lies. He may have that elite vision, that pad lean, that precognition for where a hole will be that marks all the great backs. But what truly makes him special is his heart. He didn't run over the UGa defenders on talent. He plowed Barcarri Rambo into the end zone on heart, determination, and hard work to make his body capable of such things. But if he had 2 star talent, he would be no less valuable to this team. He would still be a success because he would will it to be so.

That is the point of this thread. The character, moral fiber, will, heart and determination are unaccounted for (or at least undervalued) in the ratings systems. But that is, in reality, what makes a good team. Give me 22 of those guys and strip down the talent to be middle of the road, and I'll take that class all day. These types of classes pulled in year after year would end up giving you 5th year seniors who've elevated their play & abilities through hard work and devotion and they'll at least be in the hunt for titles (see Virginia Tech or Boise State for prime examples of this). They'll win more than the 22 five stars who all want to be the center of attention but don't want to have to work to get it.

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SCFlabbergaster said...

What in the hell do either the classes you listed or a class full or 2 or 3 stars have to do with Carolina/Clemson or Wilds/Bellamy? Neither Carolina nor Clemson had either an Alabama styled class or one made up of just 2 & 3 star recruits.

The point made was that one guy who was a 2 turned out better than one guy that was a 5 has nothing to do with the whole classes.

To call the thread stupid is pointless and ignorant of the point of the post. Of course you'd take the Alabama rated classes. Who wouldn't? Every Carolina fan with an ounce of intelligence is going to take the loaded class over the poor one. But maybe, just maybe this proves that these ranking services aren't everything some make them out to be. Maybe, just maybe Wilds (one player, not a whole class, which was made up primarily of 3 stars with a few 4's, a 5 and one or two 2's) was undervalued. And maybe without character being taken into consideration, Bellamy was overvalued as part of another class made up mostly of 3 star recruits with some 4's, a couple 5's & maybe some 2's.

I'm going to choose to focus on the intended point of the post. Stars & rankings of any one player is nowhere near an exact science. Our coaches trusted their eyes and liked what Wilds had to offer, even though the services didn't see the potential they did. Clemson's coaches either just liked what they saw (and missed some very obvious warning signs) or bit off more than they could chew knowing he was a risk but were willing to put down a wad of cash for a kid that didn't turn out to be what they'd hoped. The talent is truly there. The head... maybe not so much. And anyone here that was lamenting that they got that talent or jealous of that fact has now had their eyes open that talent/skill/ratings aren't everything.

"I AM trying to be the best at exercising" --AZ, FL, KY, NY-- ** TX 2013**

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steve miller said...

Cam Newton would have been thrown out of USC, just like he was at Fla, and Juco.