Top Recruiter- Last 30 Years?

[dukejunkie]

All of these recent signings by UNC have got me thinking. Is Roy the best recruiter in college hoops? Most here are probably biased toward K, but I give a substantial amount of credit to his assistants. Quin Snyder was a great recruiter. Collins and Dawkins have helped with their personal connections. I don't want to detract from Coach K, as he is great, but just note that he has had a decent amount of assistance. It might be fair to say that Roy Williams simply likes recruiting more. He seems to get after kids whereas Coach K lets the assistants do their fair share. However, I could be completely wrong.

Who do you guys think was/is the best recruiter over the last 30 years? The list obviously must include the likes of Dean Smith and Bob Knight. I think Rick Pitino should be up there too. I would say Calhoun but I believe he just knows how to pick players (often not the top rated ones) and gets more out of them than most. Denny Crum would probably have to be considered. And although controversial for a number of reasons, I think Jerry Tarkanian should be considered.

Also, guys like Billy Donovan, Jim Boeheim, and John Calipari are very good recruiters but don't quite have the track record or are just a notch below in overall success.

Even though I only think 7 are really worthy of consideration, I will put all mentioned in a poll for you to choose from. Am I missing anyone obvious?

I would add Lute Olson and John Thompson but don't know how! They definitely deserve to be in there. I'm going to start a new thread.

[DevilCastDownfromDurham]

Should we adjust for the advantages that a given school provides? For example, Roy is a much better recruiter when he's selling kids on coming to UNC. Top schools can sell themselves to a certain extent, or at least get a foot in the door. Conversely, guys like Loot Olsen who can attract kids to otherwise unattractive places should probably get some extra credit. Climate, academic reputation, social scene, proximity to recruiting hotbeds, and a host of other factors come into play.

[Karl Beem]

Sigh.

[dukejunkie]

Please Go To Updated Thread And Poll