| Subject: The Math of Building An Ivy Champion Team |
Author:
An Observer
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Date Posted: 13:35:29 06/26/24 Wed
In reply to:
Jerrylh
's message, "disappointing upcoming Ivy basketball season" on 07:30:59 05/31/24 Fri
We discussed above how, instead of abandoning his "outrecruit the other Ivy contenders" strategy because of the impact of NIL deals and the transfer portal, Coach Amaker is doubling down. He might be marketing Harvard as a high mid-major program where a guy can show off his skills against quality mid-major competition and then head to the big time.
That definitely works for the recruit. He'll have Harvard College on Line 2 of his Linked In "Education" page if he ever wants a corporate job, and he's got a legitimate shot at the basketball big time. If like Chisom Okpara he lands at Stanford, he's not even sacrificing anything in terms of the academic brand.
But can this strategy work for Harvard? Can you build a championship contending program around this approach?
I think it may depend upon whether Coach Amaker can get the prized recruits to stay for three years instead of one or two.
I've written here before that a championship team needs at least two superstars, two guys who are first-team all-Ivy or the first couple guys on the second team.
2.5 superstars wins you the title most years. That's the way Princeton has been able to dominate on the women's side. They always have two bona fide stars and at least one credible second team player. Nobody besides Columbia has been able to bring in that kind of talent, and Berube then outcoaches my girlfriend on game day.
Can Harvard squeeze 2.5 stars onto its roster if guys are heading out the transfer portal revolving door?
I think if the best and the brightest leave after one year, it will be very difficult. You can't recruit two superstars a cycle on a dependable basis.
If guys leave after two seasons, Harvard has a shot, but still a rather long one.
The key is to keep the stars for three years. A Harvard poster on the basketball board said he was wistful for a Harvard roster in 2026 which included Okpara, Mack and Harrington. Yup, that's a championship team, maybe even a dominant one.
Coach Amaker has proven time and time again that no Ivy coach touches him in terms of bringing *IN* the talent. Can he reach the same heights in terms of keeping the best of the bunch from heading *OUT*?
That will be the key to rings and banners.
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