I think you all are misstating the wording and arguing semantics. Recruiting isn't the issue, talent evaluation is the issue. Romar and company have been targeting players that no other pac12 schools are going for. You know what's common with every guy on the list above? None(outside maybe tristan) were recruited by pac12 schools seriously. UW was competing against the likes of san jose state, tulane and schools like that for most of these guys. Our current roster is filled with very few players who had legit high end offers(ie committable).
When romar actually locks into a player he isn't a bad recruiter, but he and his staff have been horrendous at narrowing down talent which can play at the pac12 level. Whether that's laziness(which i don't believe) or just lack of a true direction of the program and how to fit players to romars new style.
Things went down hill with the High Post offense. I understand the tribute to Wooden but no one wants to play in that style.
It's not that nobody wants to play in that style ... that's a FS comment to make given that you wouldn't expect most people want to run the Bo Ryan swinging gate offense.
The problem with the high post was a number of factors:
1) Didn't have the players on the roster to run that offense. It needs to have a strong passing presence at the high post combined with somebody that can consistently make that mid-range shot (note, running that offense DOES NOT require that person to be a PF or C). The whole key to the high post offense is that it opens up the 15 feet between the free throw line and the basket. However, you have to be able to have guys on the floor that can make those shots to prevent defenders from sagging into the lane.
2) Lack of scoring on the team. The high post kills teams by being able to create favorable matchups and those that gamble. When teams are able to sag and dictate to you where the shot comes from, it doesn't matter what offense you run at that point.
3) Didn't recruit players to fit into the system. Forget switching over to a system as you might not have the players to run it, but you sure as hell start recruiting to that system. Hasn't happened under Romar.
4) Players with little investment into the program and instead are too busy trying to get theirs have no time for a system that stresses the team over the individual or don't placate to individual 1 on 1 style play.
Moreover, you can see elements of the high post offense in almost every single game that you see, particularly at the NBA level. Almost all successful teams in the league run some variation of either the high post or triangle that focuses in on ball/player movement ahead of isolation play. Even when you look at teams like Houston, they are in some ways running variants of these principals in that they are inverting the plan to get easy scores at the rim by trying to get open looks around the 3 point line.
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The problem with the high post was a number of factors:
1) Didn't have the players on the roster to run that offense. It needs to have a strong passing presence at the high post combined with somebody that can consistently make that mid-range shot (note, running that offense DOES NOT require that person to be a PF or C). The whole key to the high post offense is that it opens up the 15 feet between the free throw line and the basket. However, you have to be able to have guys on the floor that can make those shots to prevent defenders from sagging into the lane.
2) Lack of scoring on the team. The high post kills teams by being able to create favorable matchups and those that gamble. When teams are able to sag and dictate to you where the shot comes from, it doesn't matter what offense you run at that point.
3) Didn't recruit players to fit into the system. Forget switching over to a system as you might not have the players to run it, but you sure as hell start recruiting to that system. Hasn't happened under Romar.
4) Players with little investment into the program and instead are too busy trying to get theirs have no time for a system that stresses the team over the individual or don't placate to individual 1 on 1 style play.
Moreover, you can see elements of the high post offense in almost every single game that you see, particularly at the NBA level. Almost all successful teams in the league run some variation of either the high post or triangle that focuses in on ball/player movement ahead of isolation play. Even when you look at teams like Houston, they are in some ways running variants of these principals in that they are inverting the plan to get easy scores at the rim by trying to get open looks around the 3 point line.