Based on results I think it's fair to say Cignetti knows what he is doing, no?
Yeah, but he has a different roster than ND has.
I know we've been overusing IU as the standard example, but if you had to quickly assess their roster going into the semifinals, how would their starting portal transfers measure out using this theory? There's no snark on the question. Is Cignetti just that good at coaching up mid range jumpers or did they haul in a bunch of players considered stars preseason?
Agree. That's why it's silly to call Burnham a "mid range jumper"
Duh. That doesn't make Burnham a "mid range jumper" is all I'm saying.
Ponds Cooper and Sarratt are Cig guys from JMU that were on the team last year. Who has really made the difference for them was adding Coogan and other guys on both lines.
Lol. Just saying this "theory" is extremely stupid.
I can't claim to be intimately familiar with their roster, but most of their guys seem well-coached and well-developed but lacking the elite talent that elite programs look for in starters.
UGA was recruiting Mendoza in the portal.
Tbh, I don't know much about their roster or coaches either, but as you infer, Cignetti and his positional coaches must have something elite they are doing coaching-wise that is more than just portal acquisition. Of course, they are also striking lightening in a bottle with guys like Mendoza, who was overlooked by most major programs. It will be interesting to measure out their portal acquisitions from this year when compared to last year.
Burnham was objectively better last year. This is the gambit good teams are going to be up against in this era and it's incumbent on Freeman and Martin to choose wisely. Thus far, they've cast their lot on talent and upside. As Ontario rightly stated, Young needs to come into his own in his true Junior year. No ifs or buts.
Bryce Young played more snaps this year than Burnham.
ND fans agree he was playing great down the stretch once he was healthy from the abductor injury. Reportedly, he was ready to go (in his mind) sooner than the coaches utilized him. Once he saw the field at BC and balled out he started the remainder of the year. I don’t think ND had much of a chance at keeping him if they thought Young was going to start or split reps. He thought he should be the starter which no one can blame. Hate to lose him but it was inevitable and not a money issue. Young has the upside & the better health track record.
I don't think anyone would say it is a net positive but I don't understand the critique that this is some kind of grave indictment of roster management. ND wasn't able to keep a rising senior with NFL aspirations stuck behind a more talented player. That's simply the cost of doing business.
And the fact that he stuck around so long at ND is a confirmation of our culture and the value of the degree. At many other schools, he probably would have transferred earlier.
