Post by Commissioner on Jun 3, 2020 6:49:04 GMT -5
I'm just gonna stick this here rather than start a new thread. I was looking back at some past teams and it reminded me of something I really think we've lost, which was a culture Ray built that guys who came to Detroit could play professionally.
Only Ray Jr made the NBA, but the list of Titans who played for Ray and then played overseas is pretty impressive. Nick Minnerath and Eli Holman have been real stars overseas. But the list of those playing professionally has also included Chase Simon, Paris Bass, Jason Calliste, Chris Jenkins, Jaleel Hogan, Juwan Howard, Anton Wilson, Brandan Kearny, and Xavier Keeling. Doug Anderson played with the Globetrotters. Have I left anyone out?
This built on a pretty good rep established with Perry, who sent Willie Green, Dez Ferguson (very briefly), and Jermaine Jackson to the NBA, and Jon Goode, Greg Grays, Elijah Warren, Ryvon Covile, Brandon Cotton, and Derrick Hayes overseas.
I don't track other team's alumni, but this is, I think, quite a few more than our Horizon competition or the typical mid-major. I would think it has to be a recruiting edge, especially with good mid-major recruits, who probably still dream of the NBA but know deep down it's not likely. "But if I go to Detroit, I can play professionally somewhere."
Maybe it's just a temporary thing caused by the fact that we haven't had many good players since Ray, and it's only been 4 years so we don't even have many ex-players, period. But it does seem like that has stalled.
Only Ray Jr made the NBA, but the list of Titans who played for Ray and then played overseas is pretty impressive. Nick Minnerath and Eli Holman have been real stars overseas. But the list of those playing professionally has also included Chase Simon, Paris Bass, Jason Calliste, Chris Jenkins, Jaleel Hogan, Juwan Howard, Anton Wilson, Brandan Kearny, and Xavier Keeling. Doug Anderson played with the Globetrotters. Have I left anyone out?
This built on a pretty good rep established with Perry, who sent Willie Green, Dez Ferguson (very briefly), and Jermaine Jackson to the NBA, and Jon Goode, Greg Grays, Elijah Warren, Ryvon Covile, Brandon Cotton, and Derrick Hayes overseas.
I don't track other team's alumni, but this is, I think, quite a few more than our Horizon competition or the typical mid-major. I would think it has to be a recruiting edge, especially with good mid-major recruits, who probably still dream of the NBA but know deep down it's not likely. "But if I go to Detroit, I can play professionally somewhere."
Maybe it's just a temporary thing caused by the fact that we haven't had many good players since Ray, and it's only been 4 years so we don't even have many ex-players, period. But it does seem like that has stalled.