I’ve read this recruiting thread with much interest and an open mind. My take with a bit of experience: My daughter was recruited and played D1 basketball. Well, recruited 13 years ago. Not same as men or certainly this high level but our mindset is still fresh as we evaluated the offers. And importantly, asked coaches a lot of tough and a couple of times potentially embarrassing questions.
I believe that current recruits have to look critically at BU’s in game actions from last year as an enormous negative that, presently, has no positive offset. I do believe it was calculated but unfortunately he did seem to “lose it” at times. BU talked about “fighting for the culture” last year and as recent as last week. I take that as code for “I had to whip them to be competitive” Players that stayed, Trent, etc., likely felt the love enough at other times and were comfortable staying. None of us or importantly, recruits, have seen that offset either in love or wins.
IMO, until BU tames his inner beast on TV we will continue to lose out on kids and families who may not wish to put up with it. Bobby Knight is the extreme analogy, one of the greatest coaches but an !!! of a man. Very few would knowingly put up with it. But he was a perennial winner so enough top players did. BU and Illini are not there... Some can talk about soft kids if they wish but given the choice of options where you believe (and have no countervailing evidence) that one school has a nasty game time coach, which do you choose?
Is this the key issue? Don’t know. But it has to be a major factor.
