DJ Carton Commitment Explantation

Submitted by njvictor on

https://247sports.com/college/ohio-state/Article/Five-star-PG-DJ-Carton-commits-to-Ohio-State-119809877/

 

I think everyone is a bit sad and confused about the news from yesterday, but this is Carton's explanation for committing to OSU. Still find his explanation a bit odd given that this definitely wasn't his first time meeting current players on the team, but what are ya gonna do. I hope enjoys losing ;)

1VaBlue1

July 15th, 2018 at 9:04 AM ^

Here are the money quotes:

  • "...they said they’ll give me freedom and let me play my game."
  • "I can bring some excitement to Columbus. I want to start a winning culture there with the coaches and hopefully bring us a National Championship."

So, essentially, OSU sold him a line about being the catalyst to build everything, while doing whatever he wants on the court.  Where Beilein (no doubt) told him how he'd fit into the established scheme.

Good luck to you, kid.  (You're gonna need it...)

simplymarv97

July 15th, 2018 at 9:31 AM ^

Yeah I can see the frustration...I had a feeling he might commit to OSU when I noticed we were his last visit...but still thought he was 100% to Michigan. I think the difference here is that we have a new coaching staff that turned around a very lacking roster and depth and pulled off a great season...and even with the postseason failure, fans had a sense of change in the program and how great coach Holtmann in-game coaching was. I also think Holtmann's credibility he built at Butler could have been instrumental in DJ'd recruitment. From what I've heard from your fanbases, it seems like losing him is not a big hit to the depth at PG.

Synful

July 15th, 2018 at 1:12 PM ^

I'd have to agree with this - another thing that he said that stood out for me was them giving him the keys to the offense.  Seems to me that he was told they'll run things through him as well, that he may be their implied floor captain during the games, bypassing anyone else on that team.

It was said in the other post and I think it may be true here - he definitely has that 'one and done' feel to him.

True Blue Grit

July 15th, 2018 at 1:39 PM ^

I think this is at the crux of why Coach B seems to lose these close recruiting battles for 5 stars.  Other coaches will make promises and commitments to these kids that Beilein won't do.  Coach B won't guarantee starting spots or bs kids about how great they already are.  He will tell them they can do what they're good at within the structure of the Michigan team strategy.    You can certainly see how that could make a difference in a close recruitment.  And if you're a one and done type of player, you're looking for the opportunity to get the most out of your one year as possible without having to fight for a starting job.  I have no problem at all with Coach B's approach.  I respect that he won't compromise what he believes in to do whatever it takes to land a one and done.  

Warm Cockles

July 15th, 2018 at 9:32 AM ^

Not sure why he went there if he feels "apart" of the team. Someone at 247 needs a basic grammar lesson.

Bad decision on his part. I wish him poor luck.

Larry Appleton

July 15th, 2018 at 9:37 AM ^

The gut feeling is a hard thing to beat.  If it’s what he really wanted, I hope things work out for him (except when he plays Michigan … then I hope he turns into a potato). 

YoOoBoMoLloRoHo

July 15th, 2018 at 9:54 AM ^

So a 5* picks a program with a coach who has 1 player drafted in his HC career - an inherited player who was B1G POY but drafted 2nd are at 48th. Recruit claims a desire to win NC for a coach with 1 trip to the Sweet Sixteen.

He turns down a coach with 10 players drafted better than 48th and 8 1st Rd picks, plus 6 trips to the Sweet Sixteen and 2 NC games. He also elevated a 3* PG who was 6’ to National POY and 9th pick in the draft.

“Gut feeling” is clearly a substitute for “best choice”. On the upside, this opens a spot for Rocket or a better shooter than Carton.

yossarians tree

July 15th, 2018 at 4:45 PM ^

And let me add that I like that Beilein's system really excels with a PG who has some experience in it and he therefore recruits guys who will likely need 3-4 years to make it to the league (Burke the exception). But shit I'd prefer to go back to the days when they all played 4 years--think how exciting college basketball would be if we went back to that. 

Steve in PA

July 15th, 2018 at 4:55 PM ^

I do think in JB's system in takes a PG 2 years to really understand the system.  That doesn't lend itself well to 1-and-done players or those that think they are.  There are a lot of moving pieces that a kid coming from HS and AAU hasn't seen before.  Recognizing them then reacting is different than seeing and thinking.

Like others said, good luck to him except when they play Michigan.  He made the choice that he thought best for his future.  Only time will tell if he was correct.

ToledoWolverine

July 15th, 2018 at 11:39 AM ^

I was impressed with the job Holtman did last year. It won’t take another 2-3 years to rebuild. They will be good sooner than later. This one stings for the reasons EYB mentioned. But you can’t blame Carton, he will be the man the day he steps on campus in Columbus. In Ann Arbor he would have to earn playing time. I like players who rise to competition.

 

However, I wouldn’t trade our coach or team for any other in the nation. Coach B will continue to do what he does and develop his guys into their very best versions. He has a wealth of talent to work with and he will get more. 

 

Also dont care what luck Mr. Carton has, going forward, I only care about Wolverines. 

Double-D

July 15th, 2018 at 10:29 AM ^

One player in basketball can really swing a program.  Let’s hope that does not happen at of all places OSU.  

This one is a bummer.  It seems like Beilein has earned the right to win these 5 star battles.  This is an immediate playing time decision first.  

JDriver15

July 15th, 2018 at 11:05 AM ^

I would rather have him than not, of course, but I feel like Beilein's teams normally perform better when their primary ball handler has a good shot. I saw a lot of Carton's highlights but they don't seem to feature any shooting ability.  I feel like DD is the right kind of pg to operate with.

Obviously Simpson isn't that kind of pg, but with Wagner and RAHK  it still worked.

Perkis-Size Me

July 15th, 2018 at 11:11 AM ^

He has a much easier path to the court immediately if he goes to OSU. He has to wait his turn or share minutes here. He can go to OSU and be “the guy” right now. I’m guessing Holtmann told him he’ll build his team around him. Beilein already has a team built to contend right now. Carton would be a big piece of that, for sure. But he wouldn’t be THE piece. I don’t blame him for making the decision he did.

Getting him would’ve been great, but Beilein will keep winning regardless of the amount of stars next to the names of the recruits he brings in. Not worried.

Guy Fawkes

July 15th, 2018 at 11:41 AM ^

Worst part about his decision is Simpson devastating his game for 2 years in the head to head. 

njvictor

July 15th, 2018 at 6:52 PM ^

That's what I'm curious about and I really haven't heard a clear answer. Matt D said that Watts camp doesn't want him at Michigan and that he'll probably end up out of state and thinks that Harlond Beverly isn't a good fit with us. Like I honestly don't know where we go from here because it's not exactly clear who our backup targets are

thesunismaizea…

July 15th, 2018 at 12:04 PM ^

Man this one hurts. Hopefully we can grab rocket watts out of Redford to make up for it!

Arb lover

July 15th, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^

If I had to make an educated guess I'd say there are significant recruiting issues with OSU basketball right now based on the fact that they decided to not report the basketball portion of the ESPN recruiting debacle until it came out in the news, and when they did have to, the gave a non-punishment sanction for the infraction, enough so that the NCAA stepped in. 

Despite committing the same NCAA infractions, the basketball program continued its recruitment of the three basketball players and did not suspend the staff member — director of player development Scoonie Penn — who allowed the prospects to walk onto the stage and set area... As noted, the NCAA did not agree with Ohio State’s action and decided to impose three additional penalties.

NRK

July 15th, 2018 at 1:33 PM ^

Guy got promised PT and keys to the offense. In basketball that can matter if you’re looking to go early.

There are obviously some counter points (e.g., a coach consistently developing guys to be first round material and them getting drafted there, and consistent deep tournament runs) but I get it.

i don’t buy the OSU resurgence that much. Nice run last year, but team was so reliant on Bates-Diop. He’ll get to showcase himself for sure, but good luck.

NRK

July 15th, 2018 at 10:03 PM ^

Telling someone what they want to hear can often lead to bad decisions. 

 

Totally agree a 5’11” PG needs development and to show he can play in the NBA. Getting playing time at OSU could showcase him but the jury is definitely still out on their ability to develop players. 

bronxblue

July 15th, 2018 at 1:48 PM ^

I wish him the best of luck, but one of my few major complaints with college basketball recently is that with 1-and-done's being so common, you get a lot of offenses centered around 18-year-olds bouncing the air out of the ball and then either going one-on-one to the hoop or launching a three late in the clock.  It's why watching Trae Young got pretty boring pretty quickly; most kids aren't close to good enough shooters to make that semi-efficient, and so you just get a bunch of games where a team's offense bogs down considerably.  I'm not saying that would happen with Carton, but what makes Beilein's offense so interesting and effective is that it relies on, well, guys buying into it and evolving their games to mesh well with others.  So when I hear guys say stuff like "they said I could just be me", I get why they wouldn't work at Michigan.  

At this point, I don't care any more about basketball recruiting when it comes to Michigan.  Beilein gets guys who are great fits and then prepares them for the NBA.  If that doesn't sound good to guys, then so be it.  

His Dudeness

July 15th, 2018 at 3:27 PM ^

Bates-Diop was a five star who chose OSU over Michigan too. Have fun playing two years, not improving and getting drafted in the second round, kid. Best of luck in Europe.

LDNfan

July 15th, 2018 at 3:35 PM ^

The whole 'one and done' thing needs to just be 'done' with...its doesn't fit with the idea of 'student-athlete' when a guy has absolutely no intent of doing the 'student' part. Its such a farce and makes the whole thing look silly....everyone just pretending like these guys give 2 shits about being apart of a team/program when they already have one foot out the door. 

FrankMurphy

July 15th, 2018 at 5:55 PM ^

The impact of this is being overstated. We're loaded at PG, so landing Carton would have been a luxury. Had he come to Michigan, he would have had to compete with David DeJulius and Zavier Simpson for playing time. At OSU, his path to an immediate spot in their starting five (and one-and-done status) is much clearer. It actually kind of feels good to say that we missed out on a highly-rated prospect because we already have plenty of talent at his position. 

We'll be fine. Best of luck to the kid.

jblaze

July 15th, 2018 at 6:07 PM ^

I’d like to have a smart ass comment, but not getting kids like this into Michigan (and JB’s system) is the reason we can’t win the NCAA tourney. There will always be a well coached team like Nova that has slightly better players (guys like Carton) or cheaters

 

mchicagoblue

July 16th, 2018 at 12:22 AM ^

Best of luck to him. Gotta do what's best for himself. Just disappointing to watch Beilein fail to close the deal for a 5-star prospect yet again, especially one he wasn't competing with Duke, Kentucky, etc. for.